Anat Cohen Jazz Quartet will perform “Electric and in the Moment” at Berea College on Thursday, March 10, at 8 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Auditorium. The event is part of 2010-11 Stephenson Memorial Concert Series that is free and open to the public.

Anat Cohen

Jazz virtuoso Anat Cohen has established herself as one of the primary voices of her generation on both the tenor saxophone and clarinet. She has played tenor saxophone in different musical contexts with various bands including Afro-Cuban, Argentinean, klezmer, contemporary Brazilian music and classical Brazilian choro. She also associated with Sherrie Maricle’s top-shelf all-woman big band Diva Jazz Orchestra.

Cohen was at the top in the Rising Star-Clarinet category in DownBeat Magazine’s critic’s poll in both 2007 and 2008. Cohen’s previous outings, “Noir” and “Poetica,” were released simultaneously in April 2007, and appeared on many year-end best of summary lists, including The New York Sun, Slate and JazzTimes.

Cohen has performed for audiences in New York’s Village Vanguard, Jazz Standard, Iridium, The Jazz Gallery and the JVC Jazz Festival. She has also appeared at the Chicago Jazz Festival, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s Yoshi's, Boston’s Regattabar, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Anat Cohen was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. She began studies of clarinet at age 12 and saxophone at age 16. From 1993-95, she played tenor saxophone in the Israeli Air Force band.

Other upcoming convocations include:
• March 22: Berea College Country Dancers perform at 8 p.m. in Old Seabury Gym
• March 24: Father John Dear “A Persistent Peace” at 3 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Auditorium
• March 27: Black Music Ensemble performs at 3 p.m. at Berea Baptist Church