Blues on Bach

Blues on Bach is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1973 and released on the Atlantic label.[4] The album includes five John Lewis arrangements of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, interspersed with four original blues pieces "on" [the name] "Bach"—in keys (and with titles) that spell out in order the name B-A-C-H.

Blues on Bach
Studio album by
Modern Jazz Quartet
Released1974
RecordedNovember 26–27, 1973
StudioAtlantic Recording Studios, New York City
GenreJazz
Length41:27
LabelAtlantic
QD 1652
ProducerNesuhi Ertegun
Modern Jazz Quartet chronology
In Memoriam
(1973)		 Blues on Bach
(1974)		 The Complete Last Concert
(1974)
Milt Jackson chronology
In Memoriam
(1973)		 Blues on Bach
(1973)		 Olinga
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings [2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[3]

The five pieces arranged from Bach originals are: "Regret?" from "The Old Year Has Now Passed Away"; "Rise Up in the Morning" from "Sleepers Wake"; "Precious Joy" from "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"; "Don't Stop This Train" from a selection in "Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach"; and "Tears from the Children" from the Prelude 8 in E-flat minor from Book I of "The Well-Tempered Clavier").

For the four blues pieces, the "spelling" of the titles follows the system Bach and his German contemporaries used, in which the letter B indicates B-flat, and the letter H is B-natural. So, the four blues pieces that spell the name B-A-C-H are in the keys of B-flat (major), A (minor), C (minor) and B (major).

Reception

The Allmusic review stated "This album has an interesting concept, alternating four original blues with five adaptations of melodies [sic] from classical works by Bach. The Modern Jazz Quartet had long been quite adept in both areas, and despite a certain lack of variety on this set (alternating back and forth between the two styles somewhat predictably), the music is largely enjoyable".[1]

Track listing

All compositions by John Lewis except as indicated

  1. "Regret?" - 2:04
  2. "Blues in B Flat" - 4:56
  3. "Rise Up in the Morning" - 3:28
  4. "Blues in A Minor" - 7:53
  5. "Precious Joy" - 3:12
  6. "Blues in C Minor" (Milt Jackson) - 7:58
  7. "Don't Stop This Train" - 1:45
  8. "Blues in H (B)" (Jackson) - 5:46
  9. "Tears from the Children" - 4:25

Personnel

References
  1. Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed June 1, 2012
  2. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008) The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th edition). Penguin. p. 1015
  3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 143. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. Modern Jazz Quartet discography accessed June 1, 2012
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