by Jarrett Hoffman

As part of Cleveland’s 2013 Tri-C JazzFest, renowned jazz clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen will be performing with the Rimon Jazz Institute Ensemble from Tel Aviv as well as the Tri-C Jazz Studies Workshop Ensemble on April 24 beginning at 7:30 pm in the Tri-C Metro Campus Auditorium. Voted Clarinetist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association six years and counting, last September Cohen released her sixth album as a bandleader, Claroscuro, which features her on both clarinet and saxophone. We reached her by telephone to talk about the album and her upcoming performance in Cleveland.

Jarrett Hoffman: Could you tell me a little about the title of your newest record, Claroscuro?

Anat Cohen: Well, when I was listening back on the album, I realized there’s quite a lot of contrast—dark pieces, dance pieces, bright pieces. I thought of the Italian painting technique of light and shade, chiaroscuro. So Claroscuro is like a Spanish, “clarinet-way” to say chiaroscuro. [Read more…]