Although divided by centuries and continents, J.S. Bach and John Coltrane share a humanity and spirituality that provide the throughline for this seven-movement, evening-length work. Composer and Imani Winds french horn player Jeff Scott quotes two sublime works—Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, adding his own movements and weaves in the poetry of writer, educator and arts activist A.B. Spellman, who has written powerfully about both composers. Imani realizes this wide-open sound world with the help of the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet and a jazz trio. In tune with Imani’s mission of broadening the picture of who plays classical music and what they play, Passion lets the listener appreciate the contrasts and overlaps between two innovative geniuses.
