Anat Cohen has risen to the top of the jazz scene with her sublime clarinet artistry. The Israeli native’s new album, Claroscuro (Anzic Records), will burnish her reputation among fans and win over new listeners. The 11 tunes range over musical genres from New Orleans to Africa to Brazil. “La Vie en Rose” includes a charming vocal by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, an homage to Louis Armstrong’s cover of the famous Edith Piaf song. Cohen solos on the evocative Brazilian ballad “As Rosas Nao Falam,” composed by samba pioneer Cartola). And “Um x Zero” features Cohen and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera playing at a breakneck pace — “a real chops-buster,” Cohen comments. — M.S.
(American Jewish World, 8.31.12)
