Between the ages of 11 and 15, Elton John attended a Saturday music class at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and that constitutes his classical training. Nevertheless, classically minded listeners have discerned the influence of the masters here and there in his compositions and playing technique. Pianist John Bayless is that rarity, a classical player who likes to improvise, and on this album he does not, as one might expect, actually play John compositions "in the style of Bach" so much as he creates improvised ...
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Between the ages of 11 and 15, Elton John attended a Saturday music class at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and that constitutes his classical training. Nevertheless, classically minded listeners have discerned the influence of the masters here and there in his compositions and playing technique. Pianist John Bayless is that rarity, a classical player who likes to improvise, and on this album he does not, as one might expect, actually play John compositions "in the style of Bach" so much as he creates improvised medleys of John tunes with specific works by Bach. Thus, he will launch into "Air on the G-String," and somewhere along the line he will work in the basic melody of "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." This method works better in some cases than in others. For instance, "Oh Sleepers Awake" doesn't turn out to be a good match for "Daniel," even if they are both in E-flat minor, if only because Bayless dispenses with the buoyant rhythm that kept the John song from being maudlin. On the other hand, a section of the second movement of the "D Major Concerto BWV.1054" matches up well with "Your Song." Still, the overall result here is more Bach with musical quotes from Elton John than, as billed, "Elton John in the style of Bach." ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
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