Karl Berger & Friends and Imani Winds Open 2007 Season Maverick Concerts June 23 and 24

Two Spectacular Maverick Debuts Open the 2007 Season, with Jazz and Chamber Music

Karl Berger & Friends and Imani Winds will Perform on June 23 and 24

Woodstock, N.Y.--Maverick Concerts in Woodstock opens its 92nd season of Music in the Woods with a weekend of adventurous and eclectic programming, featuring jazz and chamber music for winds, on June 23 and 24.

On Saturday evening June 23 at 8:00 p.m., Woodstock legend, vibraphonist/pianist Karl Berger, takes the Maverick stage for the first time in a concert with bassist John Lindberg and vocalist Ingrid Sertso for an evening of innovative and eclectic jazz.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, June 24, at 3:00 p.m., the Imani Winds make their Maverick debut with a program titled “Fresh Air." The Imani will perform an arrangement of Maurice Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, his memorial to those killed in World War I. Also on Imani's program is a short, highly ornamented quintet called “Shadow," by 33-year-old Thai composer Narong Prangcharoen. The second half of the program will feature an homage to music of the African diaspora, including works by Paquito D'Rivera and Imani members Valerie Coleman and Jeff Scott.

The season's opening concert reflects Maverick's commitment to expanding the definition of chamber music. Karl Berger's inclination is toward the lyrical and contemplative, John Lindberg's toward the steady and melodious. The result is a musical duality as firmly rooted in the esthetic of chamber music as that of jazz. Ingrid Sertso's intensely soft vocals are captivating and adventurous, and she blends jazz, African, South American, and other worldbeat influences into a distinctive, hypnotic sound.

The Imani Winds, founded in 1997, are a group of young African- American musicians. Adventurous, accessible and unabashed, the group has been enriching the standard wind quintet repertoire with African, Latin American, and American music traditions.Just as the name Imani denotes in Swahili (faith), the ensemble has closely followed its mission over nearly a decade, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with their dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, and inspirational outreach programs, which they have brought to many communities throughout the country.

Maverick Concerts, near Woodstock, New York, is the oldest continuous summer chamber music series in America. The Maverick Concert Hall was built by hand in 1916 in the pristine Catskill woodland, and now it is a multi-starred attraction on the National Register of Historic Places. Presenting concerts by nationally and internationally known performers at affordable prices, Maverick continues the vision of Hervey White, founder of the collaborative 101-year-old Maverick Art Colony.

Classical concerts are Saturday evenings at 6:00 and Sunday afternoons at 3:00, with jazz, world music, and klezmer on selected Saturday nights at 8:00. Young people's concerts are Saturday mornings at 11:00.

The box office opens an hour before each concert; the hall opens half an hour before curtain time. Except for the last weekend of the season, ticket prices are $20 for adults and $5 for students. Books of ten tickets, to be used in any combination at any regular concert throughout the season, may be purchased at the box office for $150 or by writing to Maverick Concerts, P.O. Box 9, Woodstock, NY 12498. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Donors of $50 or more to the sustaining fund of the series may attend the season-closer Friends of Maverick Concert.

Tickets are general admission with no reserved seating, and a special “rock bottom" area provides pay-what-you-can seating. The Maverick Concert Hall is accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Maverick Concert Hall is located on Maverick Road, near Woodstock, approximately one mile from the road's junctions with either Route 375 or Route 28. For additional information, visit www.maverickconcerts.org, call the Maverick's recorded message line at 845-679-8217, or send e-mail to [email protected].