Christian Jacques

An acclaimed French pianist known for his jazz interpretations of classical works, Jacques Loussier rose to prominence leading his trio in the 1960s. A gifted classical musician in his youth, Loussier gravitated toward jazz and issued a series of innovative, genre-bending albums under the Play Bach title in which he reworked the music of Johanne Sebastian Bach.

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach Highlights (2008)
compilation of tracks from 1959-65
EAC | FLAC tracks +CUE +LOG +600 dpi Full Scans = 381 Mb | RAR 3% | RS
Genre: Jazz | Label: Verve Records | Catalog Number: 06007 5312038

Groundbreaking work from pianist Jacques Loussier – a hip mix of jazz music and classical themes that set a whole new standard for the 60s! Loussier's a very dynamic pianist who's clearly got classical roots – but he also manages to make these older tunes swing with a good degree of jazz-based energy – working with bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Christian Garros, in a trio setting that brings plenty of modern moments to compositions by Joahan Sebastian Bach! This well-selected CD features 15 tracks pulled from the first five Play Bach albums by Jacques – titles that include "Fantasia In C Minor", "Choral No 1", "Toccata & Fugue In D Minor", "Prelude No 1 In C Major", "Aria", "Gigue", "Italian Concerto In F Major Allegro", and "Fugue No 2 In C Minor".

Pianist Jacques Loussier has spent much of his career performing Bach melodies with his jazz group. Loussier's Play Bach Trio was quite popular during 1959-1978. After a few years off, he formed a new trio along similar lines in 1985, the group heard on this CD. Although jazz and classical music have been combined together in many different ways through the years, no combo has worked harder at swinging Bach than Loussier's units. The pianist pays respect to Bach's melodies before swinging them and his improvisations are a natural outgrowth of the themes. This CD gives listeners an excellent example of his concept and is a constant delight.

Le climat se réchauffe, personne ne le conteste plus, le moment de l'action est venu. Non, cette planète n'est pas condamnée, il faut seulement prendre conscience que l'économie aborde un nouveau et gigantesque défi. …