Bach & Friends… That may sound like a name for a Saturday morning cartoon show, but it’s actually a newly released DVD that any fan of the music of J.S. Bach, or of fine acoustic string music in general, will surely treasure.

We first posted about this film while it was still in production last fall, when we ran an interview with filmmaker Michael Lawrence. He told us that his goal with the project was to connect this timeless music with younger players, using more than two dozen contemporary artists who share his love for Bach’s compositions.

A few of the featured musicians will be familiar to our readers, notably Béla Fleck, Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer. Each talks about how they developed a fascination with Bach, and in most cases, also plays a piece on camera.

Here’s Thile in his segment of the film…

Lawrence is hopeful of having this 116 minute film boardcast on television, but it is available for purchase now on DVD. The package also includes a bonus disc with just the various performances, minus the interviews and discussions.

It’s a fascinating presentation, especially seeing and hearing the many different reasons that have attracted this diverse group of musicians to Bach. Other contributors include Joshua Bell, Jake Shimabokuro, Bobby McFerrin and Christopher Wolff. Many more video snippets can be viewed on the Michael Lawrence Films web site.