Avishai Cohen !
Avishai grew up in a musical family at Motza and Beit Zayit near Jerusalem until the age of six, when his family moved to Shoeva, western Israel. He began playing the piano at 9 years old, but changed to the bass guitar at the age of 14, inspired by legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius. Later, after playing in an Army band for two years, he began studying upright bass with maestro Michael Klinghoffer. Two years later he moved to New York City, and got in contact with other jazz players. At the beginning of his stay there he had to struggle, working in jobs like construction. According to him his first year there was the most difficult year of his life, having to play bass in the streets, subways and parks. He studied music at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and after playing Latin jazz in a few bands in his student years, Cohen was approached by pianist Danilo Pérezto join his trio.
After a long period of performing in small clubs, Cohen got a phone call from the jazz pianist Chick Corea and was given a record contract. In 1996, he became a founding member of Corea's sextet Origin, and his first four albums as a leader were subsequently released under Corea's Stretch label. Cohen performed in Corea's bands until as late as 2003, when he left the Chick Corea New Trio and started his own record label; he currently performs with his own group, the Avishai Cohen Trio (with fellow Israelis Daniel Dor on drums and Nitai Hershkovits on the piano). His later albums have been released by this formation with extended lineup including wind instruments.
Aside from Corea, Cohen has accompanied, recorded or performed with several noted jazz figures such as Bobby McFerrin, Roy Hargrove, Herbie Hancock, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Nnenna Freelon and Paquito D'Rivera. Other collaborators include Claudia Acuña (Wind from the South, 2000), Alicia Keys (studio recording) and theLondon and Israel Philharmonic Orchestras (concert performances). Cohen has been cited as "undoubtedly the most successful" of Israel's jazz exports by The Jerusalem Post, a "jazz visionary of global proportions" by Down Beat, one of the 100 Most Influential Bass Players of the 20th Century by Bass Player magazine,and "a great composer" and "a genius musician" by Chick Corea himself.
In 2002, Cohen founded his own record label, Razdaz Recordz, and on September 9 of 2003, released his label's debut album, Lyla. "I've always been interested in several genres of music, including jazz, rock, pop, Latin and funk," says Cohen. "I'm always packed with ideas. I decided to start my own label because I'm involved in so many different projects." (Avishai Cohen, 2003) As of 2012, the label had produced 12 albums, five of which were Cohen's. Other artists associated with the label include pianist Sam Barsh, saxophonist Jimmy Green, flutist Ilan Salem, and guitarist Amos Hoffman. Also produced by Razdaz are the works of some of Cohen's associates such as drummer Mark Guiliana, who performed with Cohen on two of his albums. Razdaz produced an album for Guiliana'a band HEERNT in 2006. Razdaz also produced Lady of The Forest, the first album of the singer Karen Malka, in 2010. Karen had been touring with Cohen for three years prior. The most recent production of the label is Ilan Salem's album Wild, which is Ilan's third album, though it is his first under Razdaz.
''Lyla'' is the first album released by Cohen's Razdaz Recordz. The album was lauded for its genre breaking diversity. Cohen reflects on his work, "Lyla reflects much of who I am as an artist. The International Vamp Band has been touring for two years and I wanted to document that. I also started a rock band Gadu with Israeli drummer named Mike Starr dubbed by 'Drummer magazine' as one of the most aggressive drummers in Jazz and some young musicians who are graduates of William Paterson College. It's creating a buzz in New York, I have been exploring a lot of new territory. I've also been working on pop tunes with a female vocalist named Lola. And, of course, to show the whole picture on the CD, I wanted to acknowledge my relationship to Chick. I've been associated with him for six years and have played hundreds of shows in his bands, so we're very connected."
Cohen's signature sound is a blend of Middle-Eastern, eastern European and African-American musical idioms. The New York Times describes his 2006 album Continuo as conjoining "heavy Middle Eastern groove with a delicate, almost New Age lyricism". Cohen often sings in Judaeo-Spanish (Ladino), to which he has a connection through his mother. For example, "Morenika", from his album Aurora, is a very famous Ladino song he grew up hearing his mother singing around the house.
ALBUMS
1998 Adama 1999 Devotion 2000 Colors 2001 Unity 2003 Lyla
2004 At Home 2006 Continuo 2007 As Is...Live at the Blue Note
2008 Sha'ot Regishot (in English: Sensitive hours)
2008 Gently Disturbed (as Avishai Cohen Trio)
2009 Aurora 2011 Seven Seas 2012 Duende (with Nitai Hershkovits)
2013 Almah 2015 From Darkness 2017 1970 2019 Arvoles
A jazz bassist, keyboardist, and singer, Avishai Cohen plays a sophisticated mix of post-bop and contemporary jazz, infused with elements culled from Mediterranean and Israeli traditions. Influenced by bass mavericks like Charles Mingus and Jaco Pastorius, Cohen initially garnered attention in the mid-'90s as a member of Chick Corea's Origin ensemble. He gained further critical acclaim for his own expansive albums like 1998's Adama, 2000's Colors, and 2009's Aurora, all of which showcased his eclectic, richly cross-pollinated jazz sound. Ever restless, he has continued to evolve, exploring classical music on 2013's Almah and further drawing upon his Jewish folk and Sephardic Ladino influences for 2017's rock- and fusion-leaning 1970.
Born in 1970 in the northern Israeli kibbutz of Kabri, Cohen grew up in a musical, multicultural family with roots in Spain, Greece, and Poland. Encouraged by his mother's love of classical and traditional Sephardic music, he started on the piano at age nine. As a teenager, he moved with his family to St. Louis, Missouri, where he continued to play music, studying both piano and bass. It was there that his teacher introduced him to the music of bassist Jaco Pastorius, a discovery that spurred him to shift to bass full time. Returning to Israel, he enrolled in Jerusalem's Music & Arts High School, where he further honed his jazz skills.
Following his two years of compulsory military service, during which he played in the army band, he relocated to New York City. There, he studied at the New School and built a strong reputation playing gigs with equally gifted contemporaries like Ravi Coltrane, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Paquito D'Rivera, Roy Hargrove, and others. He also recorded, appearing on albums with Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez and forward-thinking guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. It was during this period that he caught the attention of pianist Chick Corea, who signed Cohen to his Stretch label (a Concord imprint) and brought him on board as a member of his acoustic outfit, Origin. In 1998, Cohen made his solo debut with the Corea-produced Adama, and followed a year later with Devotion. A third album produced by Corea and Joe Ferla, Colors, arrived in mid-2000 and featured contributions by saxophonist Jimmy Greene, trombonist Steve Davis, vocalist Claudia Acuña, and others. In 2001, Cohen debuted his International Vamp Band with Unity, which showcased his piano skills, and featured his bandmates trumpeter Diego Urcola, saxophonist Yosvany Terry, trombonist Avi Lebovich, and drummer Antonio Sanchez.
Following a move back to Israel, Cohen formed his own RazDaz label, releasing 2005's At Home and 2006's Continuo, both of which displayed a more varied stylistic palette, from jazz to funk and rock to ethnic fusion. The trio effort Gently Disturbed appeared in 2008, followed by Aurora in 2009, the latter of which found Cohen further expressing himself as a singer. Two years later, Cohen moved to Blue Note for Seven Seas, a lushly produced album recorded in Sweden. He then joined pianist Nitai Hershkovits for 2012's duo session Duende. The classical- and Middle Eastern-tinged Almah arrived the following year. The bassist then recorded again with Hershkovits, as well as drummer Daniel Dor, for the serious-minded trio effort From Darkness on RazDaz. In 2017, he delivered the soulful, genre-bending album 1970, which featured more vocals from Cohen and a mix of rock and Sephardic Ladino influences. He then returned to a more stripped-down trio setting for 2019's Arvoles with drummer Noam David and pianist Elchin Shirinov.
(Artist Biography by Matt Collar)
http://avishaicohen.com/
Wikipedia - Avishai Cohen (bassist)
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/avishai-cohen-mn0000071908
Αvishai Cohen- Discography
Avishai Cohen Music
Avishai Cohen - ''Seven Seas''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''Dreaming''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''Remembering''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''Lost Tribe''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''Samuel''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''About a Tree''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - "Aley Giva"
Avishai Cohen - Alon Basela
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''Noches Noches''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''On a black horse''
Avishai Cohen -''Soof''
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - 'One For Mark'
Avishai Cohen
Avishai Cohen - ''Calm''
Avishai Cohen - Live at Paleo Festival 2012