• DIGIPACK EDITION
• 5 stars downbeat magazine

There is such an incredible amount of interaction going on throughout this album that the title is a slam dunk. First, there’s the interaction between the 3 Cohens — clarinetist Anat, trumpeter Avishai and saxophonist Yuval — just a sister and her two brothers drawing on a lifetime of laughing, playing, sharing meals and simply being family together. They finish each other’s musical statements. They blend their instruments into beautiful threads like a homemade patchwork quilt.

Add in their interaction with the famed WDR Big Band, an organization known for its inventive collaborations with everyone from Steve Gadd and Dave Stryker to Joe Zawinul and Patti Austin. Under the conduction of Bob Mintzer, the Cologne, Germany-based ensemble has earned its way to the top of the big band pantheon in today’s landscape.

This album presents musicianship of the highest order. The live set (performed to a packed auditorium in 2022 at the Kölner Philharmonie) kicks off with a wickedly swinging “Shufla de Shufla” (Aramaic for “best of the best”) that shows off Avishai’s massive skill and versatility as a trumpeter, into a masterful solo by Yuval and off to Anat’s silk-soaked blues clarinet lines. This particular interaction spills over to include WDR’s pianist, Billy Test, who is up to the challenge of bringing this conversation to a tipping point. All three Cohens bring tunes to the program. - Frank Alkyer (Downbeat Magazine)

PERSONNEL:
Yuval Cohen - (soprano saxophone)
Anat Cohen - (clarinet)
Avishai Cohen - (trumpet and effects)
Oded Lev-Ari - (conductor)

WDR BIB BAND:
Saxophones:
Stefan Pfeifer-Galilea, Johan Hörlén, Paul Heller, Ben Fitzpatrick, Jens Neufang
Trumpets:
Andy Haderer, Rob Bruynen, Wim Both, Ruud Breuls
Trombones:
Raphael Klemm, Jonathan Böbel, Mattis Cederberg, Andy Hunter

Rhythm section:
Billy Test (piano, Fender Rohdes)
Hans Dekker (drum set)
John Goldsby (double bass)

Recorded live at Kölner Philharmonie, June 16, 2022

TRACKS:
01. Shufla de Shufla
02. Catch of the Day (For A&M)
03. Tiger Rag
04. Naked Truth Pt. 2
05. Festive Mino
06. Trills & Thrills
07. Footsteps & Smiles