Grammy nominated woodwind quintet Imani Winds makes a stop at the Edmonds Center for the Arts Feb. 21 to share their distinctive classical sound.
Since 1997, the all African American ensemble has taken a unique path in the classical music world with culturally poignant programming, genre-blurring collaborations, and outreach programs. With two member composers and a commitment to commissioning new work, the group bridges the traditional wind quintet repertoire with European, American, African and Latin American traditions.
The group is currently in the midst of its Legacy Commissioning Project, 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.
The group has performed Mendelssohn, Jean Françaix, György Ligeti, and Luciano Berio, Astor Piazzolla, Elliott Carter and John Harbison and Paquito D’Rivera and Wayne Shorter. Imani members Valerie Coleman and Jeff Scott both regularly contribute compositions and arrangements to the ensemble’s expanding repertoire.
Imani Winds performed the world premiere of “Terra Incognita,” the first-ever commission for classical artists by jazz composer, performer and legend Wayne Shorter. In recent seasons, Imani Winds has performed extensively with Shorter, including a summer European tour of jazz festivals and in North America at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The quintet regularly collaborates with other artists, as with “Josephine Baker: A Life of Le Jazz Hot!,” a collaboration with chanteuse René Marie and choreographer Christopher Huggins. The ensemble has shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma and collaborated with bassist/trombonist Chris Brubeck.
Numerous awards have come their way, 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.
Imani Winds have four releases on Koch International Classics, including their 2006 Grammy Award nominated recording entitled “The Classical Underground.” Their most recent release, “This Christmas,” found its way onto many holiday “best of” lists upon its release in 2008.
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