Anat Cohen - Place & Time (2005)

A talented saxophonist and clarinetist originally from Israel, Anat Cohen has strong tones on tenor, soprano and clarinet and is a creative improviser within the modern mainstream of jazz. She contributed six excellent originals to her debut recording including a few wistful ballads and the somewhat heated "87 North." Her clarinet playing on "Veinte Anso," an immediately recognizable Cuban melody taken here as a tango, is charming. Her quartet, which teams her with the versatile and supportive pianist Jason Lindner, is expanded on four numbers that add her brother Avishai Cohen (no relationship to the famous bassist) who contributes some effective trumpet. With the Cohens sharing the front line and Lindner dropping out, they re-create the sound of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet on "As Catch Can" (even if tenor is substituted for Mulligan's baritone). The other songs are generally more exotic, displaying Anat Cohen's interest in Latin music and her Israeli heritage. All in all, this is a very impressive debut.