BIX TOP ACT: ANAT COHEN

Clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen continues to capture hearts and minds around the world with her expressive virtuosity and charismatic stage presence, her performances are "a picture of joy" according to DownBeat.

Since 2005, Anat has consistently released numerous releases on her Anzic Records label, ranging from infectious swingers to upbeat ballads, from small groups to larger ensembles and back again, exploring a world of music. Anat's multiple Grammy Award nominations include one for Triple Helix, the second album by her Tentet, an extraordinary ten-piece band that she has presented at Carnegie Hall and SFJAZZ, among other venues. She has also dedicated several albums to Brazilian music, including the Grammy-nominated Outra Coisa: The Music of Moacir Santos (with guitarist Marcello Gonçalves) and the Grammy-nominated Rosa Dos Ventos (with Trio Brasileiro). Bloom, Anat's 21st album as a leader and the second from her latest group Quartetinho, was released in September 2024. The great Nat Hentoff summed up her artistry: "Anat does what all authentic musicians do: she tells stories from her own experiences." so deeply felt that they are very likely to connect listeners to their own dreams, wishes and desires."

For more than a decade and a half, Anat has been named Clarinetist of the Year every year by the Jazz Journalists Association and in polls of DownBeat critics and readers. In 2013, The New York Times called her "a revelation" on the clarinet and labeled her the driving force that brought it into the 21st century as a solo instrument. The Brooklyn-based artist has toured the world, from North and South America to Europe, Asia and India, headlining jazz festivals in Newport, Umbria and North Sea, as well as the prestigious Zankel Hall at Carnegie and such hallowed clubs as New York's Village on Vanguard. Anat has collaborated with artists ranging from Latin jazz star Paquito D'Rivera to pianist Fred Hersch to her brothers, trumpeter Avishai and saxophonist Yuval, as the 3 Cohens. In March 2025, she will mark a milestone with "Anat Cohen: Journeys - A 50th Birthday Celebration", a series of four jazz concerts in Lincoln Center's Appel Room overlooking the Manhattan skyline.

Cast: Anat Cohen (cla, sax); tba.