Kean Stage Welcomes the 'Turtle Island Quartet'

From Kean University:

A Tribute to John Coltrane at Kean University’s Enlow Recital Hall

Written by Mary Ann Bourbeau

The Turtle Island Quartet will perform songs from their 2007 CD, A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane, at 3 p.m.on November 20 at Kean Stage’s Enlow Recital Hall on Kean University’s East Campus. The show will include the songs from the jazz saxophonist’s 1964 album, A Love Supreme, which many consider to be one of the greatest albums of all time.

“If there was ever a piece more deeply loved by hardcore jazz musicians, I don’t know what it would be,” said David Balakrishnan, the quartet’s founder. “We found it really worked. People got it. The audience feels the depth of the album. It’s a masterpiece. It’s not like eating a piece of chocolate; it’s like having a nourishing meal.”

Since the Turtle Island Quartet was formed in 1985, the musicians have been a force in combining classical and contemporary musical styles, with forays into folk, bluegrass, swing, funk, R&B, new age, rock, hip hop and Latin. Their innovative arrangements, along with original songs and a penchant for improvisation, led them to win Grammy Awards in 2006 and 2008 for Best Classical Crossover Album.

All of the members are professionally trained in jazz as well as classical performance, so they revel in combining both genres of music. Although difficult with an all-string band, they quickly realized they could use certain techniques to mimic the sound of the rhythm section they lacked,
“That allowed us to explore a wide range of tunes,” said Balakrishnan. “Because the group is based on improvisation, the sound remains strong even if musicians are replaced. I’m the last original member, but we now have some great young players that just tear into this music. I call them baby turtles. They just bring so much energy.”

The San Francisco-based quartet is led by Balakrishnan, a violinist and composer who has performed with the likes of the David Grisman Quartet and jazz violin legend Stephane Grappelli. New Orleans native Malcolm Parson, who plays cello, was a longtime member of the Grammy Award-winning old-time string band Carolina Chocolate Drops. Violinist Alex Hargreaves has played on Austin City Limits, A Prairie Home Companion, Bonnaroo and the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals. Benjamin Von Gutzeit, who plays viola, was the first violinist to earn a master’s degree from the jazz department at the Manhattan School of Music.

“We’ve been able to interact with some great jazz legends, like Paquito D’Rivera, Billy Taylor and Alice Coltrane,” Balakrishnan said. “It’s been a blessing.”

When Turtle Island Quartet decided to pay tribute to Coltrane on their 2007 CD, they received an endorsement and liner notes from Coltrane’s widow, Alice. “She could see we were coming at it with a true sense of integrity,” he said. “It meant so much to have her blessing.”

In addition to A Love Supreme, Balakrishnan said the quartet will likely play some numbers from jazz masters Miles Davis and Charlie Parker at the Kean University show. “We’ll probably have some Jimi Hendrix thrown in there, like his version of Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower,” he said. “And who knows - some people might even like my original music.”

The performance will be held at the Gene and Shelley Enlow Recital Hall on Kean University’s East Campus, 215 North Avenue, Hillside, N.J. Tickets are $45 to $60 (buy one, get one free using code Turtle16) and will be available at the Enlow Box Office the afternoon of the performance. Advance sales are also available at the Kean Stage Box Office, located in Wilkins Theatre, 1000 Morris Avenue, by phone at 908-737-SHOW (7469), or online here.

Images via Kean University: Kean Stage will present an afternoon concert with the Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet as they explore John Coltrane’s musical legacy in A Love Supreme on Sunday, November 20 at Kean University’s Enlow Recital Hall, Hillside N.J.