How do the Imani Winds manage to stay a step ahead of the rest? It's all in the programming.
The Imani Winds quintet designs wildly creative programs that are culturally significant and genre-crossing at the same time, often joining forces with musicians ranging from Paquito D'Rivera to Yo-Yo Ma, to maximum effect.
By 2002, the Imanis had already won the prestigious CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Progamming, building their reputation not only on dynamic and virtuoso playing skills, but also through fearless and innovative concert programs.
This week on Q2 with Terrance McKnight, we hear the group's flutist Valerie Coleman and her own quintet arrangement of the jazz standard Afro Blue, by Latin jazz percussionist Mongo Santamaria.
We'll also hear the music of Vivian Fung, Peteris Vasks and Leos Janacek.
Don't forget to check out Terrance's blog to comment on ideas of timeless--but under-appreciated--compositions in our day.
Playlist:
Pizzicato for String Quartet
Vivian Fung
Ying Quartet
Telarc 80690
In the Mist
Leos Janacek
Andras Schiff, piano
ECM 1736
Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in B-flat Minor
Dmitri Shostakovich
Keith Jarrett, piano
ECM 1469
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, Op. 129, D. 965 (The Shepherd on the Rock)
Franz Schubert
Kathleen Battle, soprano
Karl Leister, clarinet
James Levine, piano
Deutsche Grammophon 419237
Afro Blue
Mongo Santamaria
Imani Winds
Koch 7661
The Mooche
Irving Mills and Duke Ellington
Quartet San Francisco
ViolinJazz Recordings JCCD105
The Harmony of Morning
Elliott Carter
Gregg Smith, conductor
Gregg Smith Singers
CRI 648
Sweet Chinoiserie
Guy Klucevsek
Margaret Leng Tan, toy pianos
Point 456345
Musica dolorosa
Peteris Vasks
Ligita Zemberga, cello
Kriss Rusmanis, conductor
Riga Philharmonic Orchestra
Conifer 51236
C Jam Blues
Edward K. (Duke) Ellington
Armstrong All Stars
Decca Jazz 661
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Terrance McKnight, congratulations on your presentation style and informative, incisive approach to making the music more "approachable" and entertaining to a wide music hungry public.
I am a Wagnerian heldentenor and opera composer and teacher at the Richard Wagner Music Drama Institute, where all the roles of Wagner's operas are taught and where artists are also trained in all the Shakespeare roles. Those two giants of the theater were born too soon to be able to, on their own terms, proselytize their music and drama. There IS MUSIC in the words of Shakespeare.
Kenneth Bennett Lane www.WagnerOpera.com
I am so happy to hear your programs. You add so much to the sound of music on QXR. One of the things I appreciate is that your voice is calming and always pleasant to the ear.
I have learned about the music, the players the composers from you. In the past years of my listening to QXR it was more simply playing the music and not speaking about it. I particularly like listening to you because your voice is easy on the ears as is the music.
I wish you were on more often. Thank you.