Winds Quintet Brings Refreshing Spirit To Akron

Plain Dealer - September 28, 2005

by Donald Rosenberg

Three or more cheers for the Tuesday Musical Concert Series. Instead of presenting the obvious (another singer, string quartet or pianist), the Akron organization began its season Tuesday at E.J. Thomas Hall with a concert by Imani Winds, the New York quintet of musicians of African and Latin heritage.

Imani-Swahili for "faith"-goes well beyond the slender repertoire for wind quintet, also exploring recent fare from many nations. Two of the players, flutist Valerie Coleman and hornist Jeff Scott, even contribute their own compositions.

The group's performances Tuesday were beautifully balanced and spunky. And Imani, not to mention the audience, had the pleasure of the company of clarinetist-composer Parquito D'Rivera. The Cuban-born musician was represented first as composer of "Aires Tropicales," a seven-movement suite of flavorful and captivating Latin styles.

When he finally arrived onstage as clarinetist to team with Imani and pianist Hector Martignon, D'Rivera charmed everyone with his impish wit. But he is one sensational instrumentalist, too, as was apparent in his two-movement "Kites Over Havana," an Imani commission.

The work contains verses about freedom spoken by the musicians. Along the way, D'Rivera's score embraces myriad jazz elements. The clarinetist sailed through several amazing riffs, as did pianist Martignon. The guest also stuck around for Scott's perky arrangement of Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango," sensuous, almost hazardous music that might have sent listeners dancing in the aisles if Thomas Hall were at all accommodating.

An original Scott piece, "Titilayo," opened the program on a series of rhythmically exuberant African notes. The title is Yoriban for "eternal joy," a feeling that is certainly conveyed in this infectious array of solo and ensemble excursions.

Imani, which also includes oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz, clarietist Mariam Adam and bassoonist Monica Ellis, exuded refinement in the night's only standard fare, Mason Jones' arrangement of Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin."

Flutist Coleman contributed the program's other new music, a two-movement piece titled "Speech and Canzone." The work juxtaposes taped speeches, such as Robert Kennedy's announcement of the death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with spiky and lyrical music. It is an inventive, if problematic, piece. Kennedy's words are so compelling and the second movement's verbal excerpts largely so incomprehensible that the ears tend to be distracted from Coleman's sonic ideas.

Still,everything Imani played was stamped with taste and spirit. How good to experience the group's intoxicating artistry.