Maestro Alex Gregory - Bach On Steroids! (2006)Self-released

The year 2006 was special for Alex Gregory, since, on November 9th, he was presented in Hollywood with an LA Music Award for the whole of his artistic activity and instruments' inventions. The worse thing was with aforesaid album, because Alex's negotiations with Warner finished with no successful results, so this CD has not been officially released yet. That's why my review is a pre-emptive strike, haha.

Mr. Gregory has accustomed us to dream teams, so this time is the same: himself (5 & 7-string Fender Stratocaster, Fender Mandocaster, 6-string Gibson Les Paul and Pentasystem instruments), Virgil Donati (drums), Dave LaRue (bass guitar; Steve Morse, Dixie Dregs, Joe Satriani), Matt Bissonette (bass guitar), Steve Weingart (Wurlitzer E-Piano, Hammond B3; Dave Weckl Band, Ring Of Fire), Albert Wing (clarinet, soprano saxophone, flute; Frank Zappa), Albert Lee (guitar solos) and a classical piano professor - Mischa Kopitman (Hammond B3).

What is the reason of recording such a CD? Maestro, inspired by W. Carlos' "Switched On Bach", John William's single - "Toccata and Fugue in Dm", Vanessa Mae's covers of popular Bach's works and Jacques Loussier's jazz improvisations on this composer's works, decided on interpreting a German master's famous excerpts. I am absolutely sure that the moment of official release date will be surprising for some of Alex's fans, since the cover presents Arnold Schwarzenegger with cigar, Bach wig and outfit, lifting a Grand Piano! It is a very sublime idea, haha!

What about Johann Sebastian Bach after a hormonal treatment?! For your information, I sense a baroque. An original concepts elaborately interlock with Bach's works. A myriad of grand interpolations don't deprive Alex of his own musical personality. As usual, here are Maestro's furious guitar parts galore. Also Steve Weingart's and Mischa Kopitman's performances are eerie and naturally virtuosic. Actually, every track is a proverbial cherry on the top. You should also be prepared for subtle and sympathetic numbers like "House Of Joy", "Testosterone Added" and "Love Is The Key". We can't forget about another virtuoso - Albert Wing's saxophone and flute parts which are very precious for a whole stuff. There are also many neoclassically influenced references, like an improvised fantasia ("Celloblaster Fantasia"), perpetuum mobile ("Moto Perpetuo"), polyphonic imitation ("Ty's Fugue") and gigue ("Gigue Vindaloo"). Maestro hasn't given up the references to well-known dances. On "Punk Minuet", he takes us on a journey back to the middle of the seventeenth century when it was an offical dance in the court of Louis XIV and then included in an opera, ballet and baroque suite. However, as far as "Bourree' Pumping" goes, it was an old-French folk dance at fast tempo, well-known in the French court in the sixteenth century, and then inserted to operas and ballets by Jean-Baptiste Lully. Obviously, it was included in baroque suite as well. But most freaky, sharp and startling are jazzy insertions. Who would have thought that Bach could be so jazzed, haha!

Since it is a virtuoso chamber music in its best performance, you can feel a stir after the listening. This peculiar music is nothing, but instrumental Deep Purple married with Bach's spirit. It is also not a far cry from Alex Masi's "Steel String Bach". You can check it and be delighted only! How could I sum up the review if Sir Paul McCartney expressed his enthusiastic opinion on this stuff and claimed: "Unbelievable. I cannot wait to play it in the car". That's not all, Trini Lopez and Arnold Schwarzenegger as well are in the habit of listening to "Bach On Steroids!" in their machines. The Master of Arnstadt and Mühlhausen would have been proud of you, Maestro!