Blues on Bach

Blues on Bach is an album by the American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet recorded in 1973 and released on the Atlantic label.^[4] The album includes five arrangements by John Lewis 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.

Blues on Bach
Studio album by Modern Jazz Quartet
Released	1974
Recorded	November 26–27, 1973
Studio	Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	41:27
Label	Atlantic QD 1652
Producer	Nesuhi Ertegun
Modern Jazz Quartet chronology
In Memoriam (1974) Blues on Bach (1974) The Last Concert (1975)
Milt Jackson chronology
In Memoriam (1974) Blues on Bach (1974) Goodbye (1974)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

The five pieces arranged from Bach originals are: "Regret?" from chorale prelude "The Old Year Has Now Passed Away"; "Rise Up in the Morning" from the 140th cantata "Sleepers Wake"; "Precious Joy" from the 147th cantata "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"; "Don't Stop This Train" from the fugue by Johann Peter Kellner BWV Anh. 180 wrongly attributed to Bach;^[5] 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

1. "Regret?" (based on Bach) – 2:04
2. "Blues in B Flat" (John Lewis) – 4:56
3. "Rise Up in the Morning" (Bach) – 3:28
4. "Blues in A Minor" (Lewis) – 7:53
5. "Precious Joy" (Bach) – 3:12
6. "Blues in C Minor" (Milt Jackson) – 7:58
7. "Don't Stop This Train" (Bach) – 1:45
8. "Blues in H (B)" (Jackson) – 5:46
9. "Tears from the Children" (Bach) – 4:25

Personnel

The Modern Jazz Quartet

• Milt Jackson – vibraphone
• John Lewis – piano, harpsichord
• Percy Heath – bass
• Connie Kay – drums

Production

• Nesuhi Ertegun – producer
• Gene Paul – engineer (recording, mixing)
• Buddy Endress – photography