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ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC

C

omposer-arranger Oded Lev-Ari, 
musical director of the Anat Cohen 
Tentet, had been looking forward to 
appearing before a live audience at last year’s 
Detroit Jazz Festival when COVID-19 forced 
cancellation of the performance. 
This year, he again looked forward to 
appearing live with the Tentet when COVID-
19 and area construction changed the format. 
Although based in Detroit, performances will 
be livestreamed — the Tentet at 4 p.m. Sept. 5.
While still disappointing, this year’s Labor 
Day weekend audience has one advantage: 
Instead of having to choose among perfor-
mances running simultaneously at Detroit 
venues, they can watch all performances as 
they run consecutively, Friday-Monday, Sept. 
3-6. 
“This is the first time we’ll be playing 
together as a group since early 2020, and 
that’s very exciting for us,
” said Lev-Ari, 46, 
whose career launched in Israel. “Basically, 
we’ll be playing material from our two 
albums, Happy Song and the Grammy-
nominated Triple Helix.
“There’s a substantial number of originals 
written by both Anat Cohen and me, but we 
play songs by other composers that we feel 
are good fits for the ensemble. When we got 
together as a group, the intention was to per-
form as many types of music as possible.
”
One Lev-Ari number performed by the 
Tentet is “Frills and Thrills,
” written for the 
ensemble’s first album. It features a folk-like 
melody that turns into a rock anthem ballad 
with clarinet and electric guitar solos. 
“The unexpected thing was that I brought 
the composition to the band with the clarinet 
and electric guitar solos dovetailing,
” Lev-Ari 
said. “Certainly, there is not the feeling that 
it’s overpowered by the guitar.
”

See Israeli composer- 
arranger Oded Lev-Ari 
in the livestreamed 
Detroit Jazz Festival.
Labor Day 
Jazz

SUZANNE CHESSLER 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jazz

Details

The Detroit Jazz Festival runs 
Friday-Monday, Sept. 3-6. The 
Anat Cohen Tentet will perform 
4-5:05 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5. To 
get the livestreaming schedule, 
go to detroitjazzfest.org. 

Oded Lev-Ari

Oded Lev-Ari and his wife, Amy Cervini, 
originate programs from their living room.

