The African-American woodwind quintet known as Imani Winds is much more than the usual woodwind quintet. Two of items members compose and arrange the music of many of their CDs. This one celebrates the life of the black entertainer/dancer/chanteuse who became such a huge hit in the Paris of the 1920s and 1930s. Songs connected with Baker’s career have been arranged by the quintet’s only male member, French horn player Jeff Scott, into two suites. The opening suite, The Beautiful Siren As Comedian, was inspired by some of the scenes in her several films. (In fact at their live concerts the Imani project the scenes from two of her films together with the music.) In addition to the expected jazzy touches, this music also would be comfortable in the company of woodwind works by Poulenc or Francaix.
American vocalist Rene Marie – who has also been a hit in Paris as was Baker – returns again as a guest vocalist with the Imani players. They also brought in for the first time a percussionist, to provide the strong accents to the wild sort of dances Baker was known for, such as the one for which she wore only a skirt of bananas. The CD note booklet has several quotes from Josephine Baker which reveal that she was a well-educated and dedicated thinker, who later in life toured and spoke on behalf of the International League Against Racism & Anti-Semitism. In one quote she acknowledges how her exposure to Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle taught her how to use entertainment to open white eyes to the black world. Her humor is highlighted in the double-entendre lyrics of Don’t Touch My Tomatoes. (If you want to see more of Josephine Baker, there have been recent DVD releases of several of her French films.)
TrackList: La Belle Sirene Comme le Comedien, Don’t Touch My Tomatoes, Donnez Moi la Main, Je Voudrais, Suite: Portraits of Josephine
– John Sunier
