Imani Winds & Harlem Quartet: Passion for Bach & Coltrane

What would happen if J.S. Bach and John Coltrane were to cross paths in the musical afterlife? Would they have anything to talk about? Would they understand each other’s music? Such is the premise of Imani Winds horn player Jeff Scott’s Passion for Bach and Coltrane, which attempts to find the common ground between the Goldberg Variations and A Love Supreme, with help from Imani Winds, the Harlem Quartet, and a jazz piano trio. A.B. Spellman’s poetry anchors this oratorio of sorts, mixing beatnik cool with curlicue descriptions that sound like they’re from the very insides of jazz itself. Around that, Scott has the ensembles crossfade between free-bop blowing sessions and the barely controlled strictures of Baroque counterpoint. Over time, the two worlds slowly converge, though it seems that Coltrane may end up getting the most of the conversation. Imani Winds will be at NorthStar Church of the Arts the next day at 11 a.m. for a deep dive into the work’s ideas and influences. –Dan Ruccia