John Bayless has been acclaimed “a pianistic genius” and “a brilliant improviser” by his critics, and Border Concert members experienced firsthand why he has been lauded worldwide as a truly unique performer.
Bayless appeared on the Backus Auditorium stage last Thursday in the final show of this year’s Border Concert series. And what a show it was.
He opened the concert with a freely-improvised medley of Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm,” “Rhapsody in Blue,” and “Strike Up the Band.”
His brilliant technique and showmanship were reminiscent of Liberace, whom Bayless credits as having had a major influence on his musical development.
What is truly remarkable about this performer is his ability to interpret modern melodies in the style of the classical composers.
John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Eleanor Rigby” were played in the style of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” theme—the melodies weaving in and out through complex melody lines and chord structures.
Bayless also proved himself to be an accomplished story-teller, sharing with the audience his childhood experiences growing up in Texas and the importance of the local drive-in theatre in creating a love for the music of the silver screen.
He then played the Henry Mancini hit “Moon River” as if it were composed by Rachmaninoff, blending it with the hauntingly beautiful themes from the “Second Piano Concerto.”
This was followed by a powerfully-moving interpretation of the theme from “Schindler’s List,” played in the style of Rachmaninoff’s “C# Minor Prelude,” which left more than a few misty eyes in the audience.
The first half of Thursday’s show also featured an imaginative medley of “Maria” and “One Hand, One Heart” from “West Side Story” in the styles of Wagner, Strauss, and Chopin.
But it was in the second half of the performance that Bayless demonstrated why he is unique among the world’s concert pianists.
In an astounding display of his abilities as an improviser, he invited the audience to suggest a song for him to play—and a composer’s style in which to perform it.
The first request was for “Blue Spanish Eyes” played by Chopin.
Without hesitation, Bayless took his seat at the piano and performed a breathtaking version of the tune. It was as if Chopin himself had composed it.
Other incongruous requests followed—all played brilliantly without hesitation: “Greensleeves” by J.S. Bach, “Here Comes the Sun” by George Gershwin, and “You Are My Sunshine” by Wagner.
As the audience members began to shout out more requests, Bayless combined them in an evocatively beautiful medley—flowing effortlessly from one theme to the next.
A boogie-woogie rendition of “The Beer Barrel Polka” morphed into “Autumn Leaves” and yet again into the hymns “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Softly and Tenderly,” and “How Great Thou Art.”
Bayless concluded the evening with a medley of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and “Amazing Grace.”
The audience—realizing they had just experienced an astoundingly gifted musician—awarded Bayless two standing ovations.
He returned for an encore, a selection by Puccini, and the audience was left shaking their heads in amazement.
The final show of this year’s Border Concert series certainly will be remembered as one of the best.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
