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Classically Reminded: Bach album cover

Album guide

Classically Reminded: Bach

The David Rees-Williams Trio

Released
2017
Label
Champs Hill Records
Forces
Piano, Trio
Personnel
David Rees-Williams piano, Neil Francis electric bass, Phil Laslett drums

For Classically Reminded: Bach, pianist David Rees-Williams, bassist Neil Francis and drummer Phil Laslett returned to the simplest version of their trio’s sound. The album uses acoustic piano, bass guitar and drums, leaving aside the Hammond organ and vibraphone heard on some of their earlier recordings.

Bach was close to Rees-Williams’s own beginnings as a chorister and organist. His arrangements allow each improvisation to grow directly out of the written music, so that it can be difficult to hear exactly where Bach ends and the trio takes over. Two Scarlatti sonatas provide a change of pace among the inventions, preludes and dance movements.

Hear both

The classical side contains only the source pieces used on the album, in album order. The jazz side presents the complete album whenever a dependable copy can be embedded.

The originalsJ.S. Bach, Scarlatti · classical source works

The classical player follows all sixteen classical tracks in order; the same recording of Bach’s Prelude No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869, appears at positions 6 and 16 for the original arrangement and its Nord-keyboard version.

Jazzed upThe David Rees-Williams Trio · 2017
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Source works

The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.

  1. Sinfonia in G Minor, BWV 797 (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) No. 11 in G minor, BWV 797
  2. French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: VII. Gigue (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: VII. Gigue
  3. French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: VI. Louré (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: VI. Loure
  4. Sonata in D Major, K. 492 (arr. David Rees-Williams)Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in D major, K. 492
  5. Cantata ‘Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben’, BWV 147: VI. Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: Cantata ‘Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben’, BWV 147: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
  6. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 BWV 869: Prelude No. 24 in B Minor (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869
  7. Sinfonia in E Major, BWV 792 (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) No. 6 in E major, BWV 792
  8. Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564: II. Adagio (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564: Adagio
  9. Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564: I. Toccata (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564: Toccata
  10. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 BWV 867: Prelude No. 22 in B-Flat Minor (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 22 in B-flat minor, BWV 867
  11. Invention in B-Flat Major, BWV 785 (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: Two-Part Invention No. 14 in B-flat major, BWV 785
  12. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 BWV 878: Prelude No. 9 in E Major (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II: Prelude No. 9 in E major, BWV 878
  13. French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816: I. Allemande (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: I. Allemande
  14. Sinfonia in F Minor, BWV 795 (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) No. 9 in F minor, BWV 795
  15. Sonata in F Minor, K. 239 (arr. David Rees-Williams)Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in F minor, K. 239
  16. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 BWV 869: Prelude No. 24 in B Minor ‘Nord Version’ (arr. David Rees-Williams)J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869