Last Saturday at the Lakewood Cultural Center, the Turtle Island String Quartet wowed the audience with a program of music entitled, "A Love Supreme: The Music of John Coltrane."
Formed in 1985, the Turtle Island Quartet is known for the unique distinction of fusing classical/chamber styles with contemporary music, and doing it in such a way that it is actually believable--a distinction that has garnered two Grammy awards for Best Classical Crossover. While the main focus is on a blend of classical and jazz, the quartet has successfully integrated rock, hip-hop, bluegrass, funk, and even world music into its repertoire. This successful fusion of the traditional and modern is owing to its two original members, David Balakrishnan (violin, baritone violin), the group's primary composer/arranger; and Mark Summer (cello), who focuses on working the arrangements into a solid performance. The two other members, Mads Tolling (violin) and Jeremy Kittel (viola), are also award-winning instrumentalists in their own right. The group's performances are crafted using a blend of written arrangements and jazz charts coupled with the musicians' improvisational skills--a true fusion of classical and jazz.
To honor both jazz and classical traditions, the first half of Saturday's program was announced song by song from a microphone by quartet members, while the second half was printed in the program--with a brief intermission in between. Part one consisted of several jazz selections, a David Balakrishnan original, and a four-part rock suite derived from the music of Jimi Hendrix--complete with amazing Hendrix-style riffs played flawlessly on violins to the point that they nearly sounded like electric guitars. The second half of the program focused chiefly on John Coltrane's music, including his four-part "A Love Supreme" scored for string quartet. The group maintained a relaxed attitude throughout the program, even joking with one another (Tolling and Kittel playfully strummed Joplin's "The Entertainer" at one point while David Balakrishnan tried to tune his instrument). Yet throughout the evening, the musicianship was flawless, and hearing recognizable rock riffs played by a string quartet, you almost couldn't help but smile. The group left the stage to a standing ovation, and came back for an encore, choosing to play (almost as a final "stick-it-to-the-man")..."Hey Joe" from Jimi Hendrix. An amazing night of music from amazing performers.
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