Music festival opens on note of swinging whimsy, By Doug Robinson, Chamber Music Festival Schedule

Scanning the eager faces of classical music fans in the Teatro Ángela Peralta as the lights dimmed, I felt some concern that they might not be able to appreciate the swinging whimsy and soulful contemporary arrangements of the Turtle Island String Quartet.

After all, how many string quartets made their recording debut on the new-age label Windham Hill in the 1980s? I could only think of one, and they were taking the stage.

That was the last time I worried about anything last Saturday night at the opening concert of the Festival de Música de Cámara.

If there was ever a line drawn in the sand between jazz and classical music, the Turtle Island String Quartet hasn't noticed. Their unique spin on chamber music is difficult to categorize using existing genres. Though each musician is a talented improviser (ranging from very good to excellent), it was the spontaneous interplay and the creativity of their arrangements that reflected their obvious affection for jazz. Here is a string quartet who wouldn't be content to offer yet another recording, even if it were brilliant, of Haydn or Mozart. Instead, they mine the great American songbook and the compositions of jazz greats like John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Chick Corea for inspiration.

I sat transfixed as they performed Paquito D' Rivera's polyrhythmic puzzle called "Wapango." Arranged and performed by a lesser group, I imagined that this lovely piece would sound romantic but routine-a nice melody over a series of what could pass for "jazzy tango" chord progressions.

But Turtle Island's technique of parsing out parts of the Latin-infused beat to first one instrument, then the next, then the next in a single measure, turning the bouncing 6/8 rhythm into a juggling act, had me visually tracking the beat from one side of the stage to the other. In a sense, the entire ensemble functioned as a drummer would, while simultaneously nailing the tricky twists and turns of the seven-minute arrangement.

As soloists, each had a moment in the spotlight, but for me cellist Mark Summer was the evening's scene-stealer. Summer only used his bow for about half the evening, opting instead to play walking bass lines like Eddie Gomez combined with percussive taps and slaps like a stickless Buddy Rich. To call his playing surefooted is an understatement. A tiny mistake on his part might have ruined the groove at any second.

As the group moved to a stunning arrangement of saxophonist John Coltrane's ballad "Naima," I brushed off my concern for the few sanmiguelenses who were furtively making mental notes not to attend future Chamber Music Festival performances unless the musical programs were announced ahead of time. "Naima" has always been a gorgeous song, but the lush TISQ arrangement brought out its inner beauty. I was completely charmed by their penchant for softly playing chords with close harmonies and subtle dynamic shifts. (I've spoken to several people since who recalled, more than anything, the beauty of the group's endings, which tended to feature surprising harmonies and whisper-quiet dynamics.)

For two sets, I had the experience of hearing the familiar made special, as they whipped through complex arrangements of Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo à la Turk" (made even more interesting for me because I had performed the composer's groundbreaking original arrangement many times as a kid), Miles Davis's "So What," Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" and a clearly fun-to-play version of Clare Fischer's "You've Changed."

There were also original compositions performed that night. Cellist Summer contributed "Gettysburg," which was a slice of Americana whose heartland harmonies simultaneously brought to mind the Civil War and James Taylor. Violinist David Balakrishnan's first piece, "Waterfall with Blenders," combined the sensibilities of avant-garde (for want of a better genre) and atmospheric ECM-style jazz, while his second was a blend of bluegrass and Indian classical music.

I think the most ambitious piece of the night was the Indian/jazz powerhouse called "Danse du Bonheur," written by guitarist John McGlaughlin, whose acoustic- fusion group Shakti opened a lot of ears to Indian music in the 1970s.

What separated Miles Davis alumnus McGlaughlin from traditional Indian classical musicians like Ravi Shankar were his jazz and pop influences. After listening to Evan Price's reverent introduction to the song, I don't think the Turtle Island String Quartet would mind one bit if I stole a sentence from this review to steer you toward a recording by Shakti called A Handful of Beauty, where I first heard this piece. Every track is an exotic example of what can go right when you combine two seemingly disparate types of music, featuring virtuoso performances by tabla player Zakir Hussain, violin wizard L. Shankar, and McGlaughlin himself. It is one of my absolute favorite CDs.

I heard a couple of people say that even considering Mads Tolling's cool viola solo, the soft and gently swinging rendition of Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" made a slightly anticlimactic encore. I think that after all the sonic fireworks it was the perfect way to let the smoke clear and say goodnight.

Bravo to the Festival for swinging the spotlight over to classical music's left field and bringing us the Turtle Island String Quartet. ¡Bien hecho!

Chamber Music Festival Schedule

Friday, August 4
Olga Kern, piano, 7:30pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta

Public market of strings, 10am-7pm
Bellas Artes patio

Saturday, August 5
Vega String Quartet, 7:30pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta

Public market of strings, 10am-7pm
Bellas Artes patio

Sunday, August 6
Free concert by the Vega String Quartet, 7:30pm
Jardín (weather permitting)
Public market of strings, 10am-1pm
Bellas Artes patio

Monday, August 7
St. Petersburg String Quartet & Olga Kern, piano, 7:30pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta

Free student concert, 4pm
Jardín kiosk (weather permitting)

Conference: "The Art of the Luthier," 5pm
With Maestro Fernando Corzantes
Bellas Artes auditorium, Free

Tuesday, August 8
St. Petersburg String Quartet & Vega String Quartet, 7:30pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta

Free Student Concert, 4pm
Jardín kiosk (weather permitting)

Wednesday, August 9
Timothy Fain, violin, & Will Ransom, piano, 7:30pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta

Free student concert, 1pm
Sala Quetzal, Biblioteca Pública

Free student concert, 4pm
Jardín kiosk (weather permitting)

Thursday, August 10
Free concert by the St. Petersburg String Quartet, 7:30pm
Bellas Artes auditorium

Free student concert, 4:30pm
Bellas Artes auditorium

Friday, August 11
Timothy Fain, violin, & Will Ransom, piano, 7:30pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta

Saturday, August 12
St. Petersburg String Quartet, Vega String Quartet, Timothy Fain, violin, & Will Ransom, piano, 7:30pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta