STEP INTO THE VOID | Gramophone | March 2020

Mike Block's multifaceted, genre-bending artistry has graced Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble for years, not to mention a dizzying array of high-profile cross-stylistic collaborations. Yet he's long been grounded in Bach, and 'grounded' is the operative word regarding his interpretations. One immediately notices Block's smooth bowing and seamless integration of registers, along with his consistently spot-on intonation. Indeed, the selected movements that Block recorded for his 2018 solo release 'Echoes of Bach' benefit from the cellist's further refinements and simplifications, although he now leaves out repeats.

...Compare, for instance, the earlier more self-consciously phrased G major Prelude nad D minor Allemande to their more direct and understated counterparts here...I've rarely heard the Suite No 6 Prelude's earthy lilt unfold to Block's supple degree - GRAMOPHONE, March 2020