Charl du Plassis Trio, Baroqueswing Vol II – Claves 5O-1609 (11/21/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****:
Jazz versions of top Baroque and other melodies.
This disc was recorded live at the 2015 Festival Muskdorf Ernen in Switzerland. Du Plassis has chosen baroque works by Bach, Gluck, Vivaldi and Handel and ends with a six-movement jazz suit and a closing track of Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm theme. Du Plassis sort of continues the efforts of the ”Play Bach” Jacque Loussier series.
He uses the natural swing built into many of these familiar baroque themes, often just by performing them faster. The slow Sarabande of Handel, featured in the film Barry Lyndon, is especially nice. Either a couple of the selections, such as a Prelude & Fugue, have an especially quiet audience, or there are studio tracks mixed in with the live concert.
—John Sunier
