Blues on Bach
Blues on Bach | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1974 | |||
Recorded | November 26 & 27, 1973 Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 41:27 | |||
Label | Atlantic QD 1652 | |||
Producer | Nesuhi Ertegun | |||
Modern Jazz Quartet chronology | ||||
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Milt Jackson chronology | ||||
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Blues on Bach is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1973 and released on the Atlantic label.[3] 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.
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
- "Regret?" - 2:04
- "Blues in B Flat" - 4:56
- "Rise Up in the Morning" - 3:28
- "Blues in A Minor" - 7:53
- "Precious Joy" - 3:12
- "Blues in C Minor" (Milt Jackson) - 7:58
- "Don't Stop This Train" - 1:45
- "Blues in H (B)" (Jackson) - 5:46
- "Tears from the Children" - 4:25
Personnel
References
- ^ a b Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed June 1, 2012
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 143. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Modern Jazz Quartet discography accessed June 1, 2012