ThE MESSENGER - Franco-American School of New York

6In ReviewNovember 2012Anat Cohen Wows Village VanguardBy Julian SalzAnat Cohen, the Israelibornjazz clarinetist and saxophonist, wasat the Village Vanguard in New York’sLower West Side in September, performingcompositions from her 6th and mostlyrical album, Claroscuro, or light andshade. The Messenger’s new jazz columnistwas there, and will be presenting a newvisitor of the legendary venue in future issuesof The Messenger, in the hopes of enlighteningyou to the wonder and uniquenessof this purely American art form.Cohen’s new album is primarilyan elegantly composed exposition of herquartet’s wide musical and creative range.The quartet is led by Cohen, who effectively“sings” either on clarinet or altosaxophone, depending on her mood.She is joined by pianist Jason Lindner,double-bassist Joe Martin and drummerDaniel Freedman. They startedout the night with their interpretationof Artie Shaw’s Nightmare, a dark minor-keyswing which set the tone forthe rest of the evening which, like thealbum’s title song, alternated betweendelicious swinging dances and darklyrical ballads.Claroscuro showcases Cohen'sfluency in a global set of styles, from thecreolized Chanson of New Orleans andthe evergreen swing of an Artie Shaw tuneto African grooves and Brazilian choro,samba and more. It seemed in fact, thatevery band mate had an important degreeof influence and freedom of improvisationin every tune.The tune Anat’s Dance, composedby Jason Lindner, is titled for Cohen’s signaturestage presence, which is engagingand often ignored in a style that is seen bymany listeners and musicians alike as seriousand intellectual. The song has the feelof a standard, with a catchy melody thatfloats effortlessly over a swinging chordprogression. However, the feel is muchfreer, as if every solo pushes its lyricism toextremes, nearly escaping from the melodyand displaying each musician’s personalsound and agenda.Cohen also performed her quartet’stake on Louis Armstrong’s recordingof Edith Piaf’s popular classic, “La vie enRose.”Cohen’s sound suggests two alteregos which co-exist rather than jockey forpresence. Depending on the tune, she canbe in flight, soaring over the tempo anddiving into the heart of it, fearless andemotional. In her darker tunes, she exudesfrom her clarinet a rich and creamy soundthat pierces through the night like an agilecat prancing from rooftop to rooftop.I was also particularly impressedby her drummer, Daniel Freedman, whowas never once boring, never doing whatwas expected of him, always driving therhythm forward and always in perfect unisonwith his band mates.Pianist Jason Lindner manipulatedvamps and odd keys with a masteryand creativity that can only bring hope tothose who look pessimistically upon thefuture of jazz.Most remarkable, however, wasthe atmosphere in the club that seemedto provide a reciprocal joy to the musicianson stage. As an old and traditionaljazz venue, the audience at the Vanguardis a mix of aficionados and first-timerswho often dictate an uptight mood. WithCohen, rather, the audience was entirelycomprised of followers who seemed tobring a new life to the club, dancing alongat some points and rendering an energyand intercommunication between audienceand musicians which is often forgottenfor the sake of an “intellectual” vibe.Jazz has always had an identitycrisis, and the question of what jazz is andwhat it isn’t has been restated as the musicevolved from swing and bebop to cooland fusion. It seems that the music hasseen a rebirth in the past 15 years, withthe likes of Roy Hargrove, Fred Hersch,and Anat Cohen. The music of Cohen’squartet is not jazz because of the chordprogression it follows or the rhythms itimplements, but rather because of thedepth of expressionism that is pouredinto each solo, where, in my mind, thereal jazz actually starts.Nowadays its seems that every upand coming artist wants to be an innovator,searching for the next thing franticallyrather than coming upon it. The trendis to play fast and play in odd times. Ifjazz cannot be defined in musical terms,we can at least agree that it is a tradition,and to move a tradition forward, youmust first draw inspiration from it. In thissense, Cohen’s sound serves as a musicaldefinition of jazz, which is that it cannotbe categorized into one genre, that it containsmany different styles and influences.The end result, the feeling you get fromplaying and listening to it, will tell youwhether it is jazz or not.At the MoviesBy Eliwa OnangaTop family movies released in 2012Do you want to go see a movie?All over America, excellent movies have been released andacross all manner of ratings, from R to PG-13, to PG and even G.Several of the best are the following: Hotel Transylvania, TheHunger Games, Diary of Wimpy Kid, and Les Intouchables.Diary of a Wimpy Kid is about a young middle school boywho isn’t so popular; he always tries desperately to fit in, but failsinstead. He has a friend named Rowley and a crazy family whichincludes his mom, his dad, and his two trouble-making brothers.Will he ever survive middle school without permanent damage tohis face? Find out!Hotel Transylvania is a movie of courage and determination.Starts out with Dracula’s daughter who falls in love with the youngestof monster hunters. How will this work out for monsters againsthumans?The Hunger Games is a dramatic story about life and death.It starts with a teenage girl competing in a serious competition. Shegoes through a lot, and faces a lot of dangers.Will she survive this dangerous mission?Perfect choices for your family, yourself, and your friends.The Messenger would like to recommend to you some great movies.It’s always a great way to relax. And one of the best things to do isa movie. You can find yourself almost out of your seat thrilled withexcitement, or biting your nails, way too scared to know what’s happening,or else almost cry with laughter. There are many kind ofmovies out there. And there is a choice out there for you.It doesn’t always have to be funny or scary; you can also seea movie based on reality, about something that actually happened inpast history.The point is that movies are for relaxing and unwinding, sosit back and enjoy the movie!Profile Resto:The Cherry treePar Jean-Baptiste RobertNotre sujet cette édition: The Cherry Tree, une nouvelle boutiquede “Frozen Yogurt” dont beaucoup de monde nous ont vantésles mérites. Nous avons envoyé un journaliste goûter au nouveauproduit, il a temoigné pour vous:“A première vue, bonne impression. La façade est assez biendessinée; mais une fois à l’intérieur, c’est un vrai spectacle qui vous attend:12 parfums de yaourts différents et un choix parmi 36 toppings!Et en plus c’est du self-service; on peut prendre tout ce qu’on veut etc’est payé au poids. Là, j’étais impressioné! Mais il restait à goûter, etc’est ça le plus important.Je me suis donc servi un copieux yaourt et je l’ai gouté.Le constat:C’étaitD-E-L-I-C-I-E-U-X!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”En conclusion, notreconseil, c’est “Thumbs Up”pour The Cherry Tree!