Give Your Ears a Workout With Turtle Island Quartet

Wednesday, Nov. 2

Sometimes it's boundlessly refreshing to attend a live performance with no idea what to expect. Of course, a little prior knowledge of the genre and style to which your ears will be treated is ideal. But when it comes to Turtle Island Quartet, less said about the music is perhaps better.

This outfit's approach to chamber music is like visiting a speakeasy: You know where it is, but not what will greet you upon entering. On Nov. 2, Turtle Island Quartet will play "A Love Supreme: Turtle Island Plays the Music of John Coltrane" at Edinboro University's Louis C. Cole Auditorium. It'll be a night of musical mystery, or rather the chance to be taken away by a unique sound. And to dub this concert "unique" is an understatement. According to the official website, "Turtle Island continues its own tradition of employing the string quartet form to shed new light on the timeless joy and beauty contained in the greatest music of the American jazz masters." Take a moment to listen to "Subconscious Lee": the strings build the sound in concert, and then move in their separate circles; the heavy cello, leaping violin, and thumping bass come together in harmony, break apart in discord, and keep the song moving ever forward. – Miriam Lamey

7:30 p.m. // Louis C. Cole Auditorium, Edinboro University, 219 Meadville Street, Edinboro // 732.2000