Avishai Cohen & Jonathan Avishai Playing The Room

Avishai Cohen - Devotion (1999) {Stretch SCD-9021-2}
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© 1999 Stretch Records / Concord | SCD-9021-2
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Bass

Bassist Avishai Cohen, best known at this point for his work with Chick Corea, on his own projects mixes together adventurous jazz with influences from world music, original folk melodies, and his own creativity. He composed 12 selections on his second CD, including tributes to Horace Silver and Chick Corea (which do not really sound that close to either of those pianist/composer's styles). The music is consistently unpredictable, with Cohen being joined by pianist Jason Lindner, drummer Jeff Ballard, Jimmy Greene on reeds, trombonist Steve Davis, guitarist Amos Hoffman, a string quartet, and up to five singers (who are mostly used in the background). An intriguing set by an up-and-coming composer who is also a very fluent bassist.

Triveni, a Sanskrit word that means "the place where three sacred rivers meet," is an accurate descriptor for this bold trio. Cohen called on bassist Omer Avital and drummer Nasheet Waits to help him achieve his artistic aims, sans chordal instrument, and he couldn't have asked for two better-suited partners. The trumpeter has a longstanding relationship with Avital, which includes their collaborative efforts within Third World Love, while Waits' drum work in triangular settings led by pianists Jason Moran and Fred Hersch has established him as the most important, now-practicing stick wielder in the artistic medium known as the jazz trio.

Avishai Cohen contributed all ten selections to Continuo, originals that are often influenced by Middle Eastern music. Cohen's bass dominates throughout, easily taking the most solo space. His trio with pianist Sam Barsh and drummer Mark Guilliana is tight, often being joined by Amos Hoffman on oud. The music is atmospheric, sometimes introspective, touched strongly by Western classical music and spontaneous in spots.

Recognised throughout the world as a leading pioneer of jazz, Avishai Cohen releases his most personal recording yet. 1970' explores the themes of unity and compassion, now synonymous with Cohen, in Song of Hope,' while My Lady' and Move On' draw on classic songwriters such as Stevie Wonder to sketch out a more confessional emotional landscape. Specialist promo/marketing.