Portraits of Josephine

Composer: COLEMAN, Valerie
  • Portraits of Josephine is a 2006 suite for wind quintet. Coleman’s ensemble Imani Winds recorded the suite on their 2007 album A Life of Le Jazz Hot. 
    • Coleman has written an 8-movement ballet version of Portraits of Josephine, as well as a 4-movement version of the suite. 
  • Portraits of Josephine is a musical biography of jazz performer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker.1

Movements (4-movement version)

  1. St. Louis 1920 
  2. Les Milandes Les Milandes was Baker’s home in France 
  3. Paris 1925 
  4. Thank You Josephine This movement is based on Josephine Baker’s song “J’ai deux amours.2

Movements in 8-movement version 

Sources

  1. “Suite: Portraits of Josephine for Wind Quintet (Digital Download),” Valerie Coleman: Flutist and Composer, accessed June 11, 2021, https://www.vcolemanmusic.com/store/p2/Suite%3A_Portraits_of_Josephine_for_Wind_Quintet_%28Digital_Download%29.html.
  2. Tim Sawyier, “Imani Winds Close First UC Season with Homage to Gwendolen Brooks,” Chicago Classical Review (May 4, 2017), accessed June 11, 2021, https://chicagoclassicalreview.com/2017/05/imani-winds-close-first-uc-season-with-homage-to-gwendolyn-brooks/.

Cut IDs

31011 31012 31013 31014