Fresh from a three-week European tour with Quartetinho, the accomplished clarinetist discusses how she transforms everything from Thelonious Monk to Brazilian choro into her own musical language.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On clarinetist Anat Cohen.
Anat’s been bringing her joyful spirit to jazz venues worldwide for two decades, blending swing, Brazilian rhythms, and melodies from her native Israel. Her 2024 album Bloom pairs her musical warmth with that of her quartet Quartetinho - Portuguese for "little quartet" - creating intimate conversations between clarinet, piano, bass, and percussion.
Anat will mark her 50th birthday this spring with four special nights at Lincoln Center's Appel Room, sharing the stage with her equally talented brothers, Avishai and Yuval Cohen.
Today, we'll hear about Anat’s musical journey, from family jam sessions in Tel Aviv to becoming the first Israeli artist to headline the Village Vanguard and plenty of stories in between.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Anat Cohen’s album with Quartetinho, Bloom)
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00:00 Introduction
01:37 Growing Up in a Musical Family
05:47 Learning from Siblings
08:12 Musical Heritage and Yiddish Songs
11:17 The Magic of the Clarinet
12:33 Exploring Different Saxophones
14:28 Life as a Touring Musician
15:51 The Musical Palette of Quartetinho
19:33 Discovering Brazilian Music
22:58 Pandemic Studies and Teaching
25:17 Academia vs Performance
28:22 Reimagining Thelonious Monk
30:36 The Meaning of "Bloom"
32:23 Playing in Different Ensembles
36:39 Making History at the Village Vanguard
41:24 Finding Safety in Music
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Visit Anat Cohen at https://www.anatcohen.com
Purchase Anat Cohen and Quartetinho’s Bloom from Bandcamp → https://anatcohen.bandcamp.com/album/quartetinho-bloom-2
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/quartetinho-bloom-anat-cohen-featuring-james-shipp-vitor-goncalves-and-tal-mashiach/gpl0vj3bh6qic
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1760620057
Follow Anat Cohen on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/anatcohenmusic/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/anat.cohen.music
and YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@AnatCohenMusic
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com
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