The warmth of Israel and Brazil melded together to create a rich mixture of sounds as clarinetist Anat Cohen teamed up with the Trio Brasileiro for an evening of swinging music of Sao Paolo and Sabra.
The team of Douglas Lora on 7 string guitar, brother Alexandre Lora on the percussive pandeiro and Dudu Maia on the mandolin-like bandolim specialize in creating the traditional “choro” music of their native country. Mixing it with the rich Mediterranean and Israeli sounds of Anat Cohen’s clarinet, the band created joyful gallops on the sensuous “Noites” and celebrative pulses during “Mumurando.” Cohen’s clarinet was able to laugh and cry, mixing cantoral and klezmer on these festive pieces, while on “ Camino Do Meio” Lora and Maia mixed seductive pickings to traditional melodies with the tapping of the Brazilian tambourine cantered like a contented burro on a rocky trail.
Cohen’s clarinet sighed and pleaded, soaring over the incessant rhythms during “In the Spirit of Baden” and swooping down like a pelican after its prey, while the dancing 7 strings from Lora’s guitar intertwined with the licorice stick to create a moody and mystical atmosphere on “Ijexa.”
A delicate pair of duets between Douglas and Anat created a gloriously agonizing “Anat’s Lament” with Cohen pleading like an unrequited lover, while peppy plucking and insouciant reed uttering bounced together on the peppy “Waiting for Amalia.” The interplay between the two was akin to an intimate musical conversation between long time friends.
As the evening closed, Cohen and company defied the audience to sit still, with a wild and unison line between strings and clarinet on “Baiao Da Esperanca” that mixed dances of the Middle East and Brazil like a sumptuous wedding feast. As the best of artists and religions are capable, Anat Cohen and Trio Brasileiro showed the full house at the Blue Whale that it is possible to unify diverse cultures with a common denominator, complete with a smile on one’s face and the toes tapping.
Upcoming shows at the Blue Whale include Gerald Clayton’s Trio May 9-10, Danny Janklow May 12, Alan Pasqua May 13 and Kathleen Grace My 18