Search - Classical Jazz Quartet :: Classical Jazz Quartet Plays Bach

This foursome consists of pianist Kenny Barron, vibraphonist and marimba virtuoso Stefon Harris, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lewis Nash. Modeled on the Modern Jazz Quartet, this ensemble's first CD featured jazz takes on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. On this disc, the CJQ delve into the contrapuntal coolness of J.S. Bach. Like Dave Brubeck, Bud Powell, George Shearing, and of course, John Lewis, the CJQ swing through several Bach masterpieces. While they don't have the MJQ's telepathic interplay, this unit brings out the best of the American and European musical idioms. The chorale, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Air" (a torrid take on "Air on the G String") swing in a clean postbop fashion. The Oboe Concerto in A Minor sashays with a zesty Latin lilt, while the first and second movements of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 are rendered in dreamy Afro-Asian and no-nonsense, straight-ahead styles. With Carter's deep and dependable bass lines, Harris's Milt Jackson/Bobby Hutcherson-inspired improvisations, Barron's lean and lyrical lines, and Nash's articulate drum work, the CJQ does swinging service to Bach and the music we call jazz. --Eugene Holley Jr.