Clarinetist Anat Cohen and Guitarist Marcello Goncalves to Play St. James Place Next Month

On Sunday, July 16th, Grammy-nominated clarinetist Anat Cohen will be performing with guitarist Marcello Goncalves at St. James Place in Great Barrington.  Their performance may be previewed here – in a Tiny Desk Concert broadcast on National Public Radio.

“I can see myself on the clarinet,” says Anat Cohen.  “It feels natural.  It's a place where I can be myself.” 

That's not to say she hasn't been swayed by others. “I love the way Miles Davis emphasized a single note,” she adds.  “There is no question that he influenced my playing.”  So did Sydney Bechet and her brothers, trumpeter Avishai Cohen and Saxophonist Yuval.  The siblings have even recorded together several times. Albums include Family, 3 Cohens and Braid.

Known primarily as a jazz musician, Anat Cohen has covered the spectrum.  Her beginnings were in classical music.  But as her playing has continued to grow and expand, she now says, “It takes years to learn how to have fun in music – all kinds of music.”

“I like music that is played with passion,” she adds.  “It has to have passion and sensitivity and delicacy.”

And that's where her performing partner, Marcello Goncalves comes in.  He's a Brazilian with whom Cohen has played frequently.  They, too, have several albums. 

“We met about 20 years ago,” Cohen says.  “We began by playing together informally.  In Brazil they always celebrate life with music.  When you visit friends, they say, 'Let's go to somebody's house and play.'  It's a beautiful thing.” The result has been a long lasting friendship that, itself, keeps expanding.  “We're working on a classical project right now,” she says.  “And we're always interested in celebrating all the cultural exuberance of Brazil.”

“What glorious music this is,” says Raul DaGama, in his review of Outra Coisa , an earlier album of the duo.  “Anat Cohen and Marcello Goncalves are superb.”