CD review: Anat Cohen – Quartetinho: Bloom – 2024: Video, CD cover

Grammy nominated performer Anat Cohen plays music through her clarinet with a joy that is obvious and infectious.

She can usually be seen dancing in time with the music when others in the band are soloing, whether it’s with the George Wein Allstars, the great ensemble Artemis where she was a founding member, playing duets with great pianists, forging great music with her brothers (Yuval on sax and Avashai on trumpet) or playing with her own Tentet.

Born in Tel Aviv, Cohen started clarinet studies at age 12 and then became a prominent saxophonist. In 1996, she headed to Berklee College of Music in Boston and moved to New York City in 1999, where she still lives. She’s been named the top clarinet player by the Jazz Journalists Association every year since 2007 and won other major polls.

Cohen is now a solid veteran of the scene and global road warrior, with several recordings to her credit. So, what inspires her after some 25 years as a professional in the U.S.?

With a shared love of the Brazilian songbook serving as its aesthetic lodestar, this hugely enjoyable album from Anat Cohen’s new quartet opens with James Shipp’s punningly titled and brilliantly atmospheric ‘Baroquen Spirit’. Excerpted from his 1980 album Circense, the tender radiance of Egberto Gismonti’s ‘Palhaço’ is beautifully articulated by the quartet, with Cohen’s clarinet at its most canorous. The moto perpetuo, marble-smooth groove of Maria Do Carmo Barbosa De Melo’s ‘Boa Tarde Povo’ is a delight and features an especially artful solo from Gonçalves.

Of the trio of striking Cohen originals, ‘Canon’ leaves a particularly strong impression, not least the way in which bass clarinet, double bass and vibes initially coalesce around the beguilingly simple melodic line. Coloured by the distinctive timbre of the accordion, Mashiach’s ‘The Old Guitar’ and ‘Vivi & Zaco’ at times seems to channel the bittersweetness of Piazzolla.

Arranged by the quartet, as with all of the music, another Gismonti piece, ‘Frevo’, reveals all of the ensemble’s greatest qualities: joyous virtuosity (the rapid unison melodic lines of Cohen and Gonçalves are nothing short of miraculous), incredible dynamic control and – at its heart – a love of the ludic which inexorably draws the listener in. The quartet’s supreme melodicism is highlighted in two further contrasting pieces, Antonín Dvorák’s ‘Going Home’ (from the second movement of his ‘Symphony No. 9’), and the magnificent ‘O Bôto’ penned by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Jararaca. A final shout-out must go to James Farber for the immaculate recording and mixing (at Sear Sound, NYC).

Ever charismatic, prolific, and inspired, Grammy-nominated clarinetist-saxophonist Anat Cohen has won over audiences around the world with her expressive virtuosity and delightful stage presence. With her new album, Quartetinho (pronounced “quar-te-CHIN-yo,” i.e., little quartet) she focuses on an intimate group sound that is melodic and lyrical, with a wide array of timbres and subtle details of orchestration. Cohen will be joined on stage by members from her Grammy-nominated Tentet featuring bassist Tal Mashiach, pianist/accordionist Vitor Gonçalves, and vibraphonist/percussionist James Shipp.

Cohen continues to rack up honors and acclaim for her musicianship and captivating performances. The Chicago Tribune has said about Cohen, “The lyric beauty of her tone, easy fluidity of her technique and extroverted manner of her delivery make this music accessible to all.” Her musical endeavors have brought her to both small groups and large ensembles, mastering everything from infectious swingers to lilting ballads and showcasing a wide range in her unparalleled performances.

1 The Night Owl 04:42
2 Paco 06:41
3 Trinkle, Tinkle 04:45
4 Tango Para Guillermo 06:13
5 Coco Rococo 06:18
6 La Catedral: III Allegro Solemne 05:17
7 Superheroes in the Gig Economy (from Gletscher) 06:16
8 Friends in Every Manner of Conveyance 02:34

ANAT COHEN: Clarinet
VITOR GONÇALVES: Piano, Accordion
TAL MASHIACH: Double Bass, Guitar
JAMES SHIPP: Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion