John Bayless: Circle Of Life

John Bayless: Piano

Circle of Life; Your Song; Tiny Dancer; Can You Feel The Love Tonight?; Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word; Believe; Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road; The One; Crocodile Rock; Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time); Candle In The Wind; The Last Song

In 1985, pianist John Bayless began his recorded music career with Bach Meets the Beatles, an album where he brilliantly improvised on the songs of the Beatles in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach. Twenty-three years later, Bayless remains one of the top classical crossover stars in the US -- his albums have consistently topped the charts, and he has sold well into the hundreds of thousands. On his new album, Circle of Life, he once again fuses the music of Bach with popular tunes -- though this time taking his melodic inspiration from the songs of Elton John. The juxtapositions are striking. "Your Song" mixes with snippets from the D Major Piano Concerto, "Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road" dances with the gigue from Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, while "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" becomes a solemn chorale. In each track, Bayless gets to the heart of the song, pairs it with a Bach piece of similar emotional sentiment, and then lets the music flow, often leading to unexpected places. Bayless's improvisations never fail to impress, surprise, and move listeners. In Elton John, he has found a sympathetic muse, and the results speak for themselves -- a must-have for fans of either artist, or lovers of great piano music.