Ask Steve Hackett, Rick Wakeman, anyone worth their salt who knows the deep history: Bach is The Daddy, Bach is music’s Shakespeare.
From Wendy Carlos’ groundbreaking Switched-On Bach to Craig Leon’s current Bach To Moog, there’s an affiliation between that most totemic of prog tools, the Moog synth, and the big JS. The latest tribute comes from seasoned pro drummer George Voros, who has assembled a crack troupe of prog artists to bring some of his music to life, including John Mitchell (Arena, It Bites) and Duncan Mackay (10cc, Camel). Like ELP’s Copland cop Fanfare, Bach To Me taps into that sweet spot where prog rock and classical meet and fuel each other nicely. A heraldic Mellotron ushers in a fanciful, twisty-turny synth read of Jesu – Joy Of Man’s Desiring; there’s a tricksy swing to the piano-led Trio Sonata (3rd Movement) and, notwithstanding guitarist Steve Agnew’s frightful Malmsteen-lite cadenzas in the third movement, the Brandenburg Concerto No.1 is a solid musical achievement. And Voros the drummer – old school, Bruford-smart – is the beating heart of this lovingly rendered passion project.
