BACH-COLTRANE; A recording off the beaten (...)

BACH - COLTRANE : Raphaël Imbert - Manfred Quartet - André Rossi, organ A recording off the beaten track: between jazz, a classical quartet and a Baroque organ.

A recording of overwhelming emotional power: the power of Bach combined with the great themes of Coltrane. The resulting sonorities are literally unheard-of:classical sound plus the mix of a pop album

The project of the Brotherhood Consort lies at the heart of this encounter between Bach and Coltrane, between Raphaël Imbert and the classical musicians of the Manfred Quartet, and with the exceptional participation of the countertenor Gérard Lesne.

Raphaël Imbert - who already attracted attention with his Suite élégiaque in 2006 - here sets out to demonstrate the spiritual and musical ties between Bach and Coltrane by following the thread of the Lutheran liturgy that links the Kantor’s music, the Negro spiritual, and certain themes written by Coltrane (Crescent, Reverend King, and others).

The Bach pieces are performed by the Manfred Quartet and the organist André Rossi, and give rise to collective improvisations led by Raphaël Imbert on saxophone, Jean-Luc Difraya on voice and percussions, and Michel Peres on double bass. Conversely, the Coltrane themes are presented by the jazzmen and lead to a musical dialogue with the Manfred Quartet. Gérard Lesne - a countertenor deeply committed to jazz - sings the opening aria from Cantata BWV 170, Vergnügte Ruh.

This recording is the culmination of a research project on the sacred element in jazz undertaken by Raphaël Imbert in New York, with the support of a ‘Villa Médicis Hors les Murs’ award.

Raphaël Imbert will present this programme in Paris on 9 February 2008, in the framework of the concert series on ‘sacred and profane’ at the Cité de la Musique, and again on 26 April at the Théâtre Musical du Châtelet.

Release date: 25 January 2008

This recording obtained the support of the ADAMI, the SPPF, and the town council of Bouc Bel Air (13).

Concerts of Raphael Imbert