Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Anat Cohen & Choro Aventuroso Feat. Leni Andrade at 54 Below

Anat Cohen & Choro Aventuroso Feat. Leni Andrade at 54 Below

By Ernest Barteldes
September 2, 2013
View read count

Anat Cohen & Choro Aventuroso, Feat. Leny Andrade
54 Below
New York, NY
August 23, 2013

The quartet. led by Anat Cohen, kicked off its early set with a selection of classic Brazilian choros that were enhanced by the individual talents of the Israeli reeds player's pan-Brazilian quartet, which featured accordion, acoustic seven-string guitar and pandeiro. The group's chemistry was quite palpable, and the musicians fed on each others' vibes, picking up immediately where one solo left off.

Cohen mixed things up, playing some Klezmer -influenced notes during her individual moments; choro and klezmer do share some similarities, especially when played in a more up-tempo, more syncopated manner. Things slowed down for

Hermeto Pascoal

multi-instrumentalist
1936 - 2025

" data-original-title="" title="">Hermeto Pascoal's "Ternura," which began with a down-tempo guitar intro. The bluesy tune gave the musicians a chance to stretch a little further, including more emphasis on individual solos.

About halfway into the set, special guest

Leny Andrade

b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Leny Andrade was introduced, and she began her participation with a soulful rendition of Pixinguinha's "Carinhoso," a well-known Brazilian standard in that is not often played stateside. Accordionist Victor Goncalves moved to the piano for

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic "Chega de Saudade," which Andrade sung in Portuguese. The group quickly adapted to the more subtle nature of bossa nova, and the song gave the singer a chance to show her improvisational skills by scatting throughout the melody.

Andrade took advantage of the band's specialty to explore a selection of more obscure tunes, and did a very personal take on "Da Cor do Pecado," a composition by the almost obscure composer Boror��. The set closed with "Estamos A��," a tune written by arranger/composer

Eumir Deodato

keyboards
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Eumir Deodato—a suitable ending, since it is highly influenced by American jazz.

It was a great opportunity to hear Andrade in a more intimate setting. She seemed quite comfortable with the small ensemble behind her. It is just unfortunate that there was no time for an encore—fans surely would have loved to hear more.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

George Duke: Dream Weaver
< Previous

Prism
Next >

Anat Cohen Concerts

Oct 4 Sat

Anat Cohen Quartetinho

Miller Theatre at Columbia University
New York, NY

Dec 13 Sat

Anat Cohen Tentet

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
Davis, CA

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.