If the world has become a "global village" then Anat Cohen is a good example of a global citizen. Not so long ago it seemed almost impossible for an Israeli woman to d become an authority on South American rhythms and styles. At the Berklee School of Music this talented saxophonist and clarinetist discovered that the term "Latin" was actually meaningless. After all, music from north-eastern Brazil has nothing to do with music from the Colombian west coast. This insight made Cohen decide to make a profound study of traditional world music styles, starting with South America. With the knowledge she acquired, Cohen began to play with the Choro Ensemble and the band New York Samba. In 2007 she released Poetica, an album recorded with pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Omer Avital, and drummer Daniel Freedman, on which Cohen - "No. 1 Rising Star on clarinet" according to DownBeat - only plays the clarinet. In that same year Noir was released, an album with music for a large, atypical ensemble, with which she more than confirms her position at the vanguard of the contemporary New York jazz scene.
