About the Show
After a rousing run at the Newport Jazz Festival, Israeli clarinet virtuoso Anat Cohen brings her Tentet to her home borough of Brooklyn. With musical director Oded Lev-Ari, she continues to develop an evocative, exciting program centered around the clarinet, featuring an unlikely group of instruments. While the performance treads ground commonly associated with that instrument – from swing to folk to klezmer – it also travels through acoustica, rock and Brazilian pop as it tells the story of the clarinet. The charismatic musician embodies the instrument’s many different possibilities, with a gang of young lions and lionesses weaving a rich tapestry of sounds.
Actor and writer Jon Glaser (Girls, Parks and Recreation, Trainwreck) takes a break from his new show (Jon Glaser Loves Gear) to join Cohen and Lev-Ari in a pre-concert conversation, moderated by NS+ curator Elena Park. The artists will talk about their respective crafts, from scripted acting and precisely-notated music to the freedom – and potential terror – of improv.
About the Artists
Anat Cohen
Clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen has taken the jazz world by storm, winning hearts and minds the world over with her expressive virtuosity and delightful stage presence. As JazzTimes says, “With the clarinet she becomes a singer, a dancer, a poet, a mad scientist, laughing – musically – with the sheer delight of reaching that new place, that new feeling, with each chorus.” An established bandleader and prolific composer, Cohen uniquely blends modern and traditional jazz, classical music, Brazilian choro, Argentine tango, and an expansive timeline of Afro-Cuban styles. The perennial winner of “Clarinetist of the Year” titles from DownBeat, JazzTimes, and the Jazz Journalists Association, Cohen has been credited by Fresh Air’s Terry Gross with “bringing the clarinet to the world” and hailed by the New York Times as a “Master.”
Jon Glaser
Jon Glaser is an actor, writer and comedian. He created and stars in the new show Jon Glaser Loves Gear on truTV. He also created and starred in Neon Joe Werewolf Hunter, and Delocated, both on adult swim. He played Councilman Jamm in Parks and Recreation, and Laird on Girls, and recently appeared in the film Trainwreck. He was an Emmy nominated writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Inside Amy Schumer, and the author of the book My Dead Dad Was in ZZ Top.
Oded Lev-Ari
“Putting lightning in a bottle is what Oded Lev-Ari specializes in,” said DownBeat magazine in a feature article on Lev-Ari as a producer. Born in Tel Aviv but a longtime resident of New York City, he released his debut album as a leader, Threading, in April 2015 via Anzic Records, the label he has owned and directed for the past decade alongside iconic clarinetist Anat Cohen. Showcasing his talents as a composer-arranger, Threading hints at diverse sonic worlds, from jazz sound painters Gil Evans and Maria Schneider to tango nuevo king Astor Piazzolla and contemporary classical composers. Ultimately, though, Lev-Ari has his own, individual soundprint, one of cinematic richness and open-hearted lyricism. His numerous record producing credits include Anat Cohen’s Luminosa, vocal trio Duchess’ self-titled debut and woodwind sage Marty Ehrlich’s A Trumpet in the Morning. He served as musical director for a Billie Holiday tribute concert starring Madeleine Peyroux, Bucky Pizzarelli Ron Carter and others at Brazil’s Tudo e Jazz festival. At the piano, Lev-Ari has performed at such New York jazz clubs as Cornelia Street Café and the Stone, as well as at Boston’s Jordan Hall, Tel Aviv’s Mann Auditorium and venues in Canada, Mexico, Russia, France and the Netherlands.
The Anat Cohen Tentet
The Anat Cohen Tentet appeared on the scene earlier this year with acclaimed runs at the Jazz Standard and the Newport Jazz Festival. An upcoming release is slated for next spring on Anzic Records. On October 30, the personnel will include: Oded Lev-Ari, Musical Director; Anat Cohen, clarinet; Rubin Kodheli, cello; Nadje Noordhuis, trumpet and flugel horn; Natalie Cressman, trombone; Owen Broder, baritone sax and bass clarinet; James Shipp, vibraphone and percussion; Vitor Gonçalves, piano and accordion; Vic Juris, guitar; Tal Mashiach, bass; and Anthony Pinciotti, drums.
NS+ Curator
Photo by: Brigitte Lacombe