Freddie Baseman
Contributing Writer
On Feb. 2, both the woodwind quintet Imani Winds and the brass quintet Boston Brass came together for an afternoon performance in Montecito’s Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West. The groups have performed together before, over a decade prior, and their return to a shared stage was a delightfully fun and dynamic musical experience all the way through.
The performance did run nearly an hour over the approximate 90 minute runtime, but both groups made the most of every second. With a mixture of group (songs performed by Imani Winds and Boston Brass separately) and supergroup (songs performed by both groups together) performances, the concert sprang from genre to genre but always remained full of remarkable technical talent and seemingly unending energy.
The Boston Brass started off the concert with their rendition of Dmitri Shostakovish’s “Galop,” from his three-part operetta “Moscow, Cheryomushki,” which was definitely one of the standouts from the program: it was vibrant, bouncy, and bright, and it set the tone for the rest of the evening. The members of the brass ensemble had a notable cohesiveness as a unit, as well as a knack for repartee, creating a fun semi-formal atmosphere and dynamic with the crowd.
Imani Winds began their performances of the evening with selections from Paquito D’Rivera’s “Aires Tropicales.” In my opinion, however, their most standout performance was their rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed.” The cover, in addition to gorgeous instrumentation, featured Imani Winds horn player Kevin Newton singing for a portion of the song. Newton’s vocals were a welcome addition to the piece — at times contained, at times soaring — and were a definite highlight of the concert.
The two final performances of the concert were the products of the joint efforts between both quintets: Arturo Sandoval’s “Metales y Maderas” and Ernesto Lecuona’s “Malagueña,” the latter of which was arranged for the performance by Boston Brass horn player Chris Castellanos. “Malagueña” was a wonderfully upbeat, get-up-and-dance closing act, but I preferred Sandoval’s composition, which he composed specifically for Imani Winds and Boston Brass — the title literally translates to “Brass and Winds.” Introducing the piece, one of Boston Brass’ trumpet players, José Sibaja, spoke briefly on how Sandoval, a Cuban-American multi-instrumentalist and composer, inspired him to play and perform music when he was younger, which framed the performance (and its composition) differently by tracing a narrative of musical and personal progression. The piece itself was intricate and beautiful, adventurously narrative in its highs and lows.
The musicians also gave a shout-out to music teachers at all levels, and both before the show and during intermission it was apparent that many members of the audience were already acquainted, being a vital part of the local musical and educational scene. It was really wonderful to be able to see this performance live and experience the interconnectedness of this community — though I would highly recommend, if you’re sitting in the front, to bring ear plugs, so as to maximize your safety and comfort, as well as your enjoyment of the show.