 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2010-04-23 15:49
I attended the Anat Cohen Quartet concert last night in Hanover, NH. THe concert was about 90 minutes long and overall was very good. The mixing blend was really off at the start with way too much drums & way too little of everything else, which I found very frustrating. This was mostly resolved by the 3rd piece & by the end was just right. SOmething for the Hopkins Center to work on.
I came into this show totally green. I knew who she was, had heard the buzz, but had never heard any of her music, period. With that said, I came away from the show impressed as $%%^&*. Anat Cohen is an amazingly gifted clarinetist who makes the most difficult passages seem effortless. Amazing versatility with the clarinet & she seemed to have all the bases covered. I would love to see her with her band (and sax) in a club environment, sitting with a drink at a table with all the general hubbub of a club setting. The Hopkins Center was a little sterile at first, making it hard to concentrate on what they were playing. I will say though that they made the best of it. The venue seemed to get smaller as the show moved forward & by the end I felt like everyone was on the edge of their seats, listening to every note & nuance. An awesome show.
If you get the chance to see her play, don't think twice about it. Jump fast.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2010-04-23 20:12
Indeed. I have not heard her play live and I recently missed her show here in Minneapolis. I've heard recordings and I will not miss the next opportunity I get!
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Author: tdinap
Date: 2010-04-24 07:05
I was there as well, and I agree, she and the band were fantastic. I wish they had played more!
Spaulding Auditorium (at the Hopkins Center) is unfortunately a pretty muddy hall no matter what, and the sound mixing ALWAYS sucks for at least part of the show, usually most of it (I was pleasantly surprised when it improved last night). It must be the hall; no matter who does the engineering, the drums are always way too heavy, among other consistent problems.
However, all that aside, it was an awesome show. She's a great player and great personality, and the band was incredibly tight. Jason Lindner is one of the most adaptable, original pianists I've heard in awhile, and Omer Avital and Obed Calvaire on bass and drums were also right on all night.
Matt, did you happen to see her brief performance with Fred Haas on Tuesday? They did some unbelievable duo work.
I could rave about Anat's playing all night, but instead I'll just suggest that anyone interested just listen to her play. Her "Clarinetwork" CD (a tribute to Benny Goodman live at the Village Vanguard) is great, and if anyone ever gets a chance to see her live, don't miss the opportunity--it's a real treat.
Tom
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2010-04-24 12:21
Tom:
I was unaware of the Tuesday evening music. Rats! That would have been great to see. Where was that at?
It would be really good to see her at the Lebanon Opera House. The sound is always so much better there.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: tdinap
Date: 2010-04-26 18:28
It was small and primarily for Dartmouth students (it was held at the house of a professor who does these kinds of events regularly), but there were a few community members there, so I thought it would've been possible you were there.
It was very casual--I think she met Fred about ten minutes beforehand and wrote the program on a napkin, but it was a great display of both of their playing.
Tom
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