The Swingle Singers - Jazz Sebastian Bach

The Swingle Singers was formed in Paris in 1962. In a unique way, they sang a cappella versions of classical music. The group, directed originally by the American Ward Swingle, began as session singers mainly doing background vocals for singers such as Charles Aznavour and Edith Piaf.

They also did some jazz vocals for Michel Legrand, whose sister Christiane was a prominent soprano in the group. The eight session singers sang through Bach's Well-Tempered Klavier as a sight reading exercise and found the music to have a natural swing.

They recorded their first album Jazz Sébastien Bach as a present for friends and relatives. Many radio stations picked it up and this led to the group recording more albums and winning a total of five Grammy Awards.

The French group disbanded in 1973, but Ward Swingle moved to London and formed a new Swingle Singers, who are still going strong.

The recordings on this compilation are from three records:
Tracks 1 to 13 are from