The Best of Plays Bach
For the uninitiated, the Loussier Trio has been doing Jazz renditions of Bach's works for over 40 years now. On Amazon alone you can find two or three dozen albums from this catalogue, and it can be difficult to tell them apart.

This particular album is by far the most modern; indeed, there have been more recent releases of remasterings of the original 60s recordings, but this album represents a newer generation of the Trio.

The differences between the two generations Bach treatments are profound. The original interpretations by the Trio were essentially Bach played on Jazz instruments; but in this newer generation, the Trio is playing truly Jazz-styled renditions of the old works, taking more liberty with structure and flow to achieve a distinctive style.

Though the real Jazz (or Bach) afficionados will want to enjoy and contrast the original Plays Bach series with this new generation, if you're just getting into Loussier I would highly recommend this beautiful introduction to the concepts he created. This album stands on it's own as a brilliant Jazz album that nearly anyone can appreciate.

Appeals to the Young
I homeschool my children and I've always played classical music in the background. Every week, I rotate composers and post pertinent facts on the board with a "Now Playing" list. My 12 year old son mentioned that he would probably like classical music better if there was percussion or drums. This was the first one I found and they all love it...Bach comes alive to them. I know it's probably sacrilegious to classical music lovers. But it's a nice twist that appeals to the young

Encore! Jacques Loussier Plays Bach
For Bach and jazz lovers alike, this is a nice holiday treat...relax with a glass of wine while Wrapping unwrapping gifts or enjoy it over an intimate dinner with friends.

Jacques Loussier Plays Bach, a new two-disc recording from Telarc set for release on October 23, 2007. The French musician has been recording for close to 50 years, easily solidifying his career as a diverse and talented musician.Originally recorded in the early 1990s, the set as a whole spotlights Loussier's numerous strengths as both a jazz innovator and a classical composer. Disc 1, recorded in Miraval, France, in 1991, features the new Loussier Trio assembled in the late '80s after the hiatus. This new lineup delivers innovative jazz renditions of J.S. Bach compositions: Little Fugue in G Minor, Concerto in F Minor, Concerto in C Minor, Partita in B-flat Major. Few surprise sounds include rock rhythms and Caribbean inflections. Disc 2, recorded in Prague at Czech Radio Studio 1 in April 1992, features original classical compositions by Loussier, in which he stays true to the sound of a chamber orchestra. The opening of the violin concerto, "Prague," has resonances of Brazil and Piazzolla, leading up to the dialogue between violin and drums that concludes the movement. Encore! -- studioexpresso

Good but too literal and too classical
This, when you boil it down to its essence, pretty much sounds like classical music played with a jazz beat rather than any extended jazz improvisations on classical pieces akin to the Wayne Shorter band's interpretation of "Valse Triste" on the "Soothsayer" album. In fact, this sounds less jazzy than Brubeck's 1950s classical themed album "Jazz Impressions of Eurasia" or Stan Getz's interpretation of Michel Legrand's "Back to Bach" on "Communications '72."

This is more like a jazz version of what Emerson, Lake & Palmer do with rock music. Loussier's technique is formidable and his band are total virtuosos on their instruments and the album as a whole is impressive and fun to hear when you're in a more upbeat and non-introspective mood but the deepness of the Bach pieces is definitely trivialized by doing it in the jazz idiom this straight. Jazz gets deep through improvisation. I think Loussier needed to give himself freer rein to express himself and improvise. If I want straight Bach I can go listen to the original pieces done by the best classical players of all time.

Threfore, this is a higher-than-average recommendation only if you don't mind some high-energy classical-light with overtones of cool-jazz hipness but if you want something state-of-the-art that really digs deep go listen to Brad Mehldau's trio offerings.

French Brubeck
If you like the fusion of classical with jazz(Forinstance"Jazz impressions of eurasia"you will love this disc.