90 minutes spent with Chris Thile is never dull. He welcomes us to Bachtoberfest with a jumping heel click and the invitation to “drink deeply of Bach—the greatest composer that ever lived—and Fall, the champion of all seasons”. What is Bachtoberfest? And why? All will be revealed: so says the grin on his face and the twinkle in his eye.

Based on the evening that unfolds, the concept that underpins this tour is something along the lines of Bach meets mandolin meets bluegrass meets gameshow meets theatre meets session meets metaphysical therapy. Which is to say that it’s a glimpse into the Wurlitzer of brilliance that is Chris’s mind. While opening song ‘I Made This For You’ masquerades as an accessible portal into the Bach that will follow, it also showcases the beauty of his singing, with Chris’s voice drifting past the lightbulbs suspended above his head to where the rafters might otherwise be. Then it’s into the Bach proper. The slightly dry title of the new album (Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2) belies the fizz that Chris brings to the classical cannon. Not dissimilar to Brad Mehldau’s After Bach, this is the music of the be-wigged 18th century composer but not as you know it. There are stomps, bluegrass embellishments and musical jokes (where the punchline is a well-received harmonic).

For sure this is a Bach masterclass, and yes, it’s fascinating to hear the first piece of Bach that turned a young Chris Thile onto the composer (the Prelude of the Partita No. 3 in E major). But more than that, as we move deeper into the program, it becomes clear that this is a show about people. We learn about his mother via a rendition of ‘The Fox’ (from the Nickel Creek discography) which comes with the disclaimer “I had more songs about death than the average child”. He tells us about his grandma Barbara (a metaphysical therapist) and his wife Claire (actor, director, paranormal-curious) ahead of ‘Two Ghost Stories’. The heart of the show is maybe most present as he talks us through the Largo and Allegro from the Sonata No. 3 in C major which was performed at Chris and Claire’s wedding. He says that there will be a moment between the two sections where the audience can think about people in their lives who deserve a bit of Bach “because they make us feel good about being human”.

Last summer, Chris spent a few nights on Little Island (New York) performing The Manhattan Variations, a blend of personal narrative and songs, co-scripted by Claire. What seems apparent is that in stepping back into the role of “artist touring an album”, he has incorporated a level of stage craft and story-telling that creates terrific audience impact. There’s a moment during the D minor Chaconne where he wanders in front of the mics and we’re all just listening to acoustic, raw Bach on the mandolin. The hall’s held in a trance. And then snapped out of it as we play a round of ‘Stump That Radiohead Fan’. The thesis of the album and tour may well be summarized as “Bach will make it better” — the multiple encores and standing-ovations suggest that the London Jazz Festival audience agrees with the premise.

Part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. The 2025 festival runs 14-23 November — explore full listings here.