Best of Ten Years Live - Quintessence Saxophone Quintet.

CPO CD 999 990-2

Quintessence was formed 10 years ago by the meeting of five like-minded saxophonists.

Each brought a different outlook, experiences and talent... Uli Letterman, Hartmut Salzmann, Andreas Menzel, Tom Gostenmeier and Bernard Stich provide the ingredients that make this contemporary jazz group a favourite.

Liberal with Bach, in the style of Jacques Loussier, the arrangements and combinations make for a dynamic collection.

This celebratory CD includes arrangements of Beethoven and Handel, as well as the ever-popular Bach.

The playing is articulate, bold and fun.

Reviews of their concerts are enthusiastic and full of acclaim.

If any of you remember Jacques Loussier's ground-breaking LP Play Bach, you need look no further for this century's answer to the modern interpretation of Baroque music.

Quintessence has played in concerts with the master, and are acclaimed by many of the musicians of the genre. Bobby McFerrin, renowned jazz performer is a fan as is Jacques Loussier himself.

There can be no greater praise.

For me, I found the whole experience intense and quite overwhelming.

Here the tracks include Johann Sebastian Bach's Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,Jazzentials and Fudge Fugue in G minor;.

Then, there is Beethoven's Overture from Coriolan, op. 62 and Hallelujah from Handel's The Messiah.

Plus, there is Uli Letterman's Prelude and Chick Corea's La Fiesta.

The music invades the room and commands you to listen - not what I expected, it certainly grabs your attention and your ears.