IMANI WINDS: Umoja

Imani Winds

Umoja

© 2002 Imani Winds (656613622728)

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Grammy-nominated wind quintet blending classical, jazz, spirituals and world music all rolled up into virtuosic unique performances.

tracks

1 Umoja
2 Wapango
3 Quintette En Forme De Choros
4 I Will
5 Little David Play On Your Harp
6 Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit
7 Quintette:andante Tranquilo-allegro Assai
8 Quintette: Presto-trio
9 Quintette: Tema-andante
10 Quintette: Tempo Di Marcia Francese
11 Milonga Sin Palabras
12 Lift Every Voice and Sing

notes

Imani Winds have four releases on Koch International Classics, including their 2006 Grammy Award nominated recording entitled The Classical Underground and This Christmas released in October 2008.

Imani Winds has established itself as more than a wind quintet. Since 1997, the Grammy nominated ensemble has taken a unique path, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with its dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, genre-blurring collaborations, and inspirational outreach programs. With two member composers and a deep commitment to commissioning new work, the group is enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully bridging European, American, African and Latin American traditions.

The group is in the midst of its Legacy Commissioning Project, an ambitious five-year endeavor launching Imani Winds into its second decade of music making. The ensemble is commissioning, premiering and touring ten new works for woodwind quintet written by established and emerging composers of various musical backgrounds. The select composers originate from different points of the globe bringing experience not only in classical music, but jazz, Middle Eastern, Latin, and harder to define sounds.

In 2007-08, Imani Winds performed extensively with jazz icon Wayne Shorter, culminating in a summer European tour of jazz festivals in Vienne (France), Lubeck (Germany), Kongsberg (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark), Limerick (Ireland), and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In 2008-09, the group will play several engagements with the Shorter Quartet, including dates at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and Is Sanat Art and Culture Centre in Istanbul.

The wide range of programs offered by Imani Winds demonstrates their mission to expand the wind quintet repertoire and diversify sources of new music. From Mendelssohn, Jean Françaix, György Ligeti, and Luciano Berio, to Astor Piazzolla, Elliott Carter and John Harbison; to the unexpected ranks of Paquito D’Rivera and Wayne Shorter, Imani Winds actively seek to engage new music and new voices into the modern classical idiom. Imani members Valerie Coleman and Jeff Scott both regularly contribute compositions and arrangements to the ensemble’s expanding repertoire, bringing new sounds and textures to the traditional instrumentation.

Through commissions and performance the quintet regularly collaborates with other artists. Josephine Baker: A Life of Le Jazz Hot!, a collaboration with chanteuse René Marie and choreographer Christopher Huggins, has been performed in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, among other cities, to great acclaim. Imani Winds performed the world premiere of Terra Incognita, the first-ever commission for classical artists by jazz composer, performer and legend Wayne Shorter, and have shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma for a rousing performance of Jeff Scott’s arrangement of Piazzolla’s Libertango. In 2007 the ensemble collaborated with bassist/trombonist Chris Brubeck of the famed Brubeck family for a performance and recording of music written especially for wind quintet and jazz quartet (released by Koch in 2008). The group’s Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center residency culminated in a recital in New York’s Alice Tully Hall with renowned clarinetist/saxophonist/composer Paquito D’Rivera. The ensemble has also worked with luminaries such as bandoneonist Daniel Binelli, saxophonist Steve Coleman, clarinetist David Shifrin, and pianists Gilbert Kalish and Shai Wosner. Future collaborations include Stefon Harris and David Krakauer.

Imani Winds’ extensive touring schedule has brought them to the Herbst Theater for San Francisco Performances, Seattle’s Meany Hall, University of Illinois’ Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Ensemble Music Society of Indianapolis, La Jolla Music Society, and the Virginia Arts Festival. Additionally, they have performed at Atlanta’s National Black Arts Festival, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Chicago Symphony Musicians Residency Program, the Ravinia Festival, the Kennedy Center, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

Imani Winds enjoy frequent national exposure in all forms of media, including two features on NPR’s All Things Considered, appearances on APM’s Saint Paul Sunday, NPR’s Performance Today and News and Notes with Ed Gordon, the Bob Edwards Show on XM Satellite Radio, BBC The World, as well as frequent coverage in major music magazines and newspapers.

Their excellence and influences have been recognized with numerous awards including the 2007 ASCAP Award, 2002 CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, as well as the CMA/WQXR Award for their debut and self-released CD Umoja. At the 2001 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, Imani Winds was selected as the first-ever Educational Residency Ensemble, in recognition of their tremendous musical abilities and innovative programming.



LINER NOTES:

Track 1:
The opening piece, Umoja (Ki-Swahili for unity), is the signature piece of Imani Winds. VColeman's composition
contains elements of the African drum circle and embodies the unity of mind, heart and spirit that makes the piece
outstanding in the world of contemporary chamber music.

Track 2:
Imani Winds joins forces with world-renowned percussionist Rolando Morales-Matos on Wapango, an energetic
piece by the Cuban-born musician and composer Paquito D' Rivera. Listen for the way the bassoon anchors the
other players with the well-written and well-executed bass line.

Track 3:
Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote the Quintette in Forme de Choros while living in Paris. It is based
on the improvisatory dance form called choros that Villa-Lobos returned to many times in his career. A typical
choros starts out slowly and gradually builds to a dramatic climax. This piece is a tour-de-force for the entire
ensemble.

Track 4:
I Will, the ballad by John Clark, was originally written for his own jazz ensemble. Clark, an outstanding jazz
French horn player, then rewrote I Will for the Aspen Wind Quintet. Traces of improvisation are still redolent in
this arrangement, and Imani Winds revels in the lush harmonies written to accompany the simple tune.

Tracks 5-6:
The arrangements of Little David Play on Your Harp and Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit evoke the sound of an
African-American church choir both in the writing and in the performance of the pieces. Of note in the traditional
spiritual Little David is the amusing dialog between the flute and oboe.

Tracks 7-10:
Quintette by Jean Francaix, a "standard" of the woodwind quintet repertoire, is riddled with the quirky sense of
humor for which, French composer, Francaix is famous. Observe the bright colors elicited by the virtuoso flute and
clarinet lines in the first and last movements, and make sure to enjoy the way Francaix manipulates the theme of
the third movement into several sparkling variations.

Track 11:
Milonga Sin Palabras, an Argentinean dance song without words, is written by Astor Piazolla. Piazolla, master
player of the bandolian (a small accordion), is a prolific composer whose tango music is played by ensembles all
over the world. Imani Winds' interpretation of this Milonga is both delicate and passionate.

Track 12:
In Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing, we hear the African-American National Anthem reinterpreted. The masterful
arrangement of VColeman develops the hitherto unexplored aspect of the anthem as a song of celebration as well
as solidarity.

reviews

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  • Superb playing, an inspiration!
    author: David Bell

    Wonderful CD, superb playing. Made the Francaix seem easy (I am an amateur bassoonist and quintets I've been in have struggled with the piece), and I love the Spirituals-- have purchased the music for some of them to play with my quintet.

  • I love it!!!
    author: Tia

    I bought this cd as a gift for my mother who now plays it all the time. This cd is a great addition to any classical cd collection.

  • Felicidades!!!!
    author: Alimey Díaz Martí

    Estoy fascinada con su música, Javier (Toyin´s husband) no me dijo que eran tan buenos. Me encanta lo que hacen ¡¡¡Felicidades!!! y aún estoy saltando de alegría por lo de la nominación al Grammy (mis vecinos se quejaron de mi escándalo...) Un abrazo a todos, rezaré para que ganen!!!

  • woodwinds woodwinds wow
    author: Steve

    At last woodwind music that is interesting, rather than the usual classical and romantic and early 20th century stuff. I get tired of hearing the same old thing over and over again. Here, the music is contemporary. CONTEMPORARY!! And the playing is fresh and exciting. Their second disc is even better.

  • Great Virtuosity and music styling for K-8 Urban School Children
    author: Ben Brenner

    Great to hear Classical Spirituals,and Latino West Side Story styling with the fascinating percussive rhythms. My students in Philadelphia School District are really going to take to this! The music never stops bringing in surprises as different instruments enter constantly. I hold a Masters in Performance on bassoon, so I really enjoyed the fullness of your sound! If you could use a Virtuoso Handwhistler as a guest soloist, please check out my website at www.geocities.com/pavaroddy/Ben. I performed with Peter Schickele in 1975 and was on the Tonight Show twice. Continued success to your great inspirational group!!! You are much more interesting than the Philadelphia Orchestra Quintet that has performed at my Schools over the years!! I will try to get my Principal to bring you in. What a thrill it would be for me and the entire school.

  • absolutely fabulous
    author: ruthi

    this is so good just remarkable this is awesome

  • Awesome!
    author: Jenni Olson Scott

    What an awesome collection of woodwind quintet rep. A great balance between some "standards" and new compositions. Stellar performance!

  • Fantastic - brings the wind quintet to life!
    author: Austin Griffiths

    I found Imani winds by accident while surfing the web. As a teacher in a multicultural London school, I am always trying to promote classical music to a mixed population. What fantastic music and role models to be able to show my students. I thought Francaix - Quintette - was worth the purchase alone. Imani are my find of the year!

  • Fantastic - brings the wind quintet to life!
    author: Austin Griffiths

    I found Imani winds by accident while surfing the web. As a teacher in a multicultural London school, I am always trying to promote classical music to a mixed population. What fantastic music and role models to be able to show my students. I thought Francaix - Quintette - was worth the purchase alone. Imani are my find of the year!

  • Really loved it
    author: Sharon

    I bought this as a gift for my husband but couldn't resist opening it before I give it to him. I really enjoy it and can't wait to give it to him for Christmas. Thanks

  • Original sound, exciting and soothing at the same time
    author: Mary McCue

    I bought this after reading the review in The Crisis, primarily for my African-American grandaughter who plays clarinet in concert band and marching band, but have listened a lot myself while relaxing and love the sound.

  • An exploring, exploration, depicting travel, jubilee and discovery on the part o
    author: Samuel W. Smith

    Imani Winds might consider exploring works of Florence Price,IZ, Sharon Burch, Dvorjac, Wm. Grant Still and others and do another CD. This one was out of sight I have to date not felt thi comfertable with a grupo classico.

  • Nice recording - I'd love to perform the work Umoja! with my Quintet
    author: Helene Rosenblatt - BLACKLEDGE WWQ

    I enjoyed Imani Winds recording, spirited and very accurate playing. Nice selection of pieces, some very well known by quintets, others nice arrangements and original works. I would love to perform the Umoja work with my Quintet.

  • author: Ronni Lacroute

    This is one of the most exciting classical CD's I have bought recently. The mingling of influences from jazz, African rhythms, and American spirituals is very interesting and keeps the music fresh and original. I have listened to it repeatedly. This is inspired and brilliant work.

  • I bought another as a gift!
    author: Erlinda (again!)

    I love this so much, I bought it as a gift for an extremely discerning friend. She could have loved it...or hated it. She loves it as much as I do! I can't wait to have a reason to purchase another!

  • Refreshing new sounds

    I am really enjoying this CD and so is everyone in the office. I look forward to seeing the group in concert.

  • What wonderful sounds!
    author: Erlinda

    I really, really, REALLY love this CD. I use it as a background for work and meditation. UMOJA and the Villa-Lobos Quintette are my favorites! I keep listening and listening and listening to them.

  • Spirited
    author: A. Kernan

    Spirited playing, wonderful selection of music. One of those CD's I can lie on the floor and focus on--but it also works when I have lots to do and it has to play as background music. Let's have more!

  • Imani Winds... woodwinds of THESE times
    author: todd harper

    Excellent new music. THis is the shot in the arm that the music needs; fresh approaches, specific music that has great feeling. The first time someone else plays Astor Piazzolla that is in the spirit and not lifeless! Bravo!

  • Great!
    author: Stephen C.

    This CD is really terrific. The title track, an original piece composed by the ensemble's flute player, is my favorite. I'm already looking forward to the Imani Winds' next recording.

  • Keep on playing!
    author: Judy Montel

    What a delightful mix -- frankly, I'll listen to Imani Winds play anything. They have the beautiful, rich tone of a classical woodwind quintet in its entire range of sonorities, and play so musically that I don't really care what they are playing - baroque, classical, jazz, showtunes or spirituals -- it is all warm, engaging and uplifting... it made me want to pick up my instrument, and I'm not even a wind player!

  • The whole album is great but Coleman's pieces are the best.
    author: Joe Harris

    This album was a real treat. I hope Coleman keeps on composing. She's the best.

  • Really liked the CD
    author: Joe

    I really liked the sound. I especially like Umoja.

  • Great Repertoire, Great Sound, Great Quintet
    author: Sean Stackpoole

    Finding interesting repertoire is one of the challenges of any wind quintet. The Imani quintet has not only found some outstanding music to play they've also come up with some on their own... Bravo...

  • Wonderful CD.
    author: Black Lyon Design

    This is a wonderful CD. I hope they tour more and receive all the awards they deserve.

  • It's wonderful!
    author: Julianne

    I don't listen to classical music generally, but this is very interesting and exciting.

  • superb, wondeful
    author: imaniujimaa

    this cd is so different but yet so good this is classical at it best

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