Chris Thile Looks Back To Bach

By NPR Staff

Published August 11, 2013 at 5:19 AM EDT

Chris Thile's new album, <em>Sonatas and Partitas</em>, draws from material written by Johann Sebastian Bach in the early 1700s. — Chris Thile's new album, *Sonatas and Partitas*, draws from material written by Johann Sebastian Bach in the early 1700s.

There's the mandolin — and then there's the mandolin when Chris Thile puts it to work. He started playing with the band Nickel Creek when he was just 8, and recorded his debut solo album at 12. In his early 20s, he pushed the mandolin to new places as a member of Punch Brothers.

Today, Thile is stretching the limits of his instrument yet again — this time taking on Johann Sebastian Bach. He's just released an album of solo mandolin performances called Sonatas and Partitas, drawing source material written by Bach in the early 1700s. Thile spoke about it with NPR's Rachel Martin; click the audio link to hear their conversation.

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