Sam Post - Post bach

Pianist Sam Post has been a Bach acolyte since his earliest years behind the keys. His study and development have led Post down many musical avenues, but Bach’s lessons remain ever present in his work, as can be heard on Post’s new release, Post Bach, a collection of the pianist’s unique interpretations of a number of the maestro’s preludes and fugues, as well as original pieces that blend Bach’s harmonic ideas with syncopated styles that have become Post’s focus of late.

The Washington, DC based Post has been lauded for his brilliant piano playing and his unique composing style, including that of his string quartet and chamber symphony commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony. Post was steeped in classical piano from early in childhood, and his teacher Irena Orlov encouraged the young pianist to take on one of the most difficult of Bach’s Prelude and Fugues, the C Sharp Minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. From there, Post was hooked and set out to master all of Bach’s piano works.

Post graduated from Yale with a summa cum laude physics degree, but pursued music professionally, teaching at Levine Music in DC. This position allowed him to cross paths with a number of inspirational pianists, including jazz musician Paul Bratcher and master improviser Carlos Cesar Rodriguez. Post’s studies with these two led him to a wider range of musical inspiration, including ragtime, pop, and Latin music. Exploring different aspects of the piano led to new ways of thinking about rhythm and articulation. These influences began to figure prominently in Post’s compositional work.

Post became more and more engaged in music with strong rhythmic drive and with strong syncopation. His transcription of a Gabriela Montero rag improvisation led him to writing his first ragtime piece. Post also experimented with the music of William Bolcom, using two of the composer’s pieces as basis for improvisations on his last solo album. The infectious rhythms of other syncopated styles, including tango, swing jazz, and pop, have also engrained themselves into his work.

Post Bach is a tremendous collection of solo piano pieces that illustrates this musical shift. On the recording, Post performs four of Bach’s Prelude and Fugues but with an approach that emphasize his new-found approach to the piano. There are also a number of original pieces that display Post’s range in these styles, all with hints of his devotion to Bach’s harmonic concepts.