3 Cohens
Yuval Cohen, soprano saxophone; Anat Cohen, tenor saxophone; Avishai Cohen, trumpet; Gary Versace, piano; Ben Street, bass; Daniel Freedman, drums

Sunday, June 29 | 2:30 pm | Campbell Recital Hall
Tickets: $40 general | $20 students

Online:
By phone: 650.725.ARTS (2787); In Person: Stanford Ticket Office
For more information, go to our Ticketing Information Page

Program Notes

“…this is a real band, reaching a level of communication bound by family ties, deepened by long hours on the bandstand, and enlivened by an obvious love of the artform. The 3 Cohens have arrived, and hopefully this is only the beginning.” – AllAboutJazz.com

The three Cohen siblings, Yuval (soprano saxophone), Anat (tenor saxophone/clarinet), and Avishai (trumpet), seem to communicate almost telepathically on the bandstand. Growing up in Tel Aviv, Israel, they were immersed in classical music, but a shared love of jazz and three scholarships to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston led the siblings to their true calling. Since 2002 they’ve performed together as 3 Cohens, and their uncanny musical empathy and compatibility have only grown, creating a sound that blends straight-ahead jazz with Latin and Middle-Eastern influences, collective improvisation, and seductive rhythms. Their acclaimed 2007 album Braid (on Anzic Records) is inviting and unpredictable, with innovation and experimentation built on a solid foundation of excellent musicianship and creative chemistry.

Supported by the Robert Sillins Family Foundation

3 Cohens web site

Music link

Jazz Times article, "The Israeli Jazz Wave"

Jewish Week profile, "The Family That Plays Together..."

Q&A with 3 Cohens

YUVAL:
What is the first recording you remember hearing as a child?
Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald.

What job would you have if you weren’t a jazz musician?
A librarian.

What’s the strangest experience you’ve ever had on the bandstand?
Having my saxophone taken by a Chasidic Jew while playing a Jewish wedding, and seeing him dancing with my horn on his forehead…

What’s the last book you’ve read?
The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying.

If you could play with any other musician, living or dead (with whom you have not played), who would it be and why?
Charles Mingus – amazing composer, bandleader, creative, revolutionist, and bassist.

What’s your favorite jazz venue?
Village Vanguard, NYC

Who is your greatest musical influence?
John Coltrane.

ANAT
What is the first recording you remember hearing as a child?
Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

What’s the most exotic place you’ve traveled to as a musician?
Brazil.

How much do you practice each week?
Depends if I am home or on the road. There is really no routine on that – sometimes a few hours and sometimes 5 minutes...

Do you have a favorite music-related joke (that can be told in mixed company!)
How Many Bass Players does it take to change a light bulb? ..........1 ......5......1.....5......1......5....

When did you become interested in music, and what circumstances or events led to your becoming a professional musician?
Growing up playing music with my brothers inspired me to be serious about it and helped guiding me and kept me inside the music at all times. My brothers are a big influence on me. Maybe
the biggest.

If you were to describe your music as a color, what color would it be and why?
It will be probably from the colors of the earth – shades of Brown, Green, Yellow/Gold, Red, Violet – i think my music comes from the earth, from the people to the people.

AVISHAI:
What job would you have if you weren’t a jazz musician?
A Chef.

What’s the most exotic place you’ve traveled to as a musician?
The Amazonas, in the meeting point of Peru, Colombia and Brazil.

What’s the last book you’ve read?
“The Path Of The Just.”

If you could play with any other musician, living or dead (with whom you have not played), who would it be and why?
Billy Holiday, so I will learn what truth is.