Pass on Bach
I thought I’d share this lovely little clip of the late great jazz guitarist Joe Pass. It’s from a show that classical guitarist John Williams presented along with three other exponents of the guitar from different genres. At this point they had been talking about the similarities between Jazz and Baroque music, especially with regards to the improvisation, so Williams invited Pass to improvise on a Chaconne by Johan Sebastian Bach. The result is absolutely fascinating, not least because of the musical jokes in the form of blue notes that Pass includes during his spontaneous elaboration. The first elicits a big smile from John Williams because the tritone Pass plays was regarded as the diabolus in musica in Bach’s time, but for a jazz musician blue notes like this are par for the course.
P.S. it’s amazing how little Joe Pass’s right hand seems to move…
In the Dark 
October 13, 2024 at 12:02 am
JSB, who was himself not above re-working other musicians’ ideas, would probably have appreciated Mr Pass’ take on the famous chaconne.
To be very picky though – the diabolus in musica idea, if it existed at all except as an anachronistic conceit, had certainly evaporated by the baroque, except maybe in the minds of a few theorists. JSB himself doesn’t seem to have any qualms about using the interval eg, just flipping through some scores, in the subjects of G# minor and B minor fugues of book 1 of the 48. And look at the G minor prelude in book 2 where Bach sits on the bare tritone in the second bar for what seems like an age, positively relishing the discord!
October 13, 2024 at 6:41 am
This was originally written for unaccompanied violin and, played by Josef Suk, is one of my favourite pieces of music. I recently heard on YouTube the full version rearranged for other instruments and found it nothing like as compelling.
October 13, 2024 at 6:54 am
S It’s as beautiful on other instruments, but not as poignant in the astonishing later stages.
October 13, 2024 at 12:25 pm
It’s long been my ambition to play this. Never too late; now I’ve time on my hands I’ll be starting violin lessons in December!
IMO the best playing arrangement for keyboard is by Brahms, realised as a study for the left hand. Looks easy but the sustained stretchiness requires a formidable degree of fitness. If you want to get a grip like steel then Brahms is your man.