Play Bach No. 1

Jacques Loussier’s Play Bach No. 1 transforms the Goldberg Variations into swinging jazz interpretations, treating Bach’s counterpoint as a vehicle for bebop improvisation. Recorded in the late 1950s, Loussier’s trio strips the harpsichord originals down to their harmonic essence, rebuilding them with walking bass, brushed drums, and fluid piano runs. This was the first in a prolific series that proved classical architecture could breathe in a jazz ensemble setting—a template that influenced countless classical-jazz crossover projects to follow.