Avishai Cohen

Smith373 · #1 09-28-2000, 09:03 PM

Does anyone have either of the two recordings from Avishai Cohen? The reviews say good things but I like music and not so much noise. I'm half afraid to lay down 20 bucks for either of these. Sometimes "disolving boundaires between musical genres" means doing something no one likes! I am very open and like any DB music played well, just curious if youse guys n' gals have heard this cat and what you think of him. Thanks all.

Smith373 · #2 09-30-2000, 10:58 PM

I've been milling around, went Christian McBride's site, then to Fuse.com then to Jazzcorner.com and there found reviews on all three (I though he'd only two CDs out) AC releases. Good reviews - at least for what I like. Bits of world and Spanish in a very technicaljazz capsule. If I buy them before anyone replies, I'll post me my own reply!!

Christopher · #3 10-06-2000, 03:21 PM

Don't worry about wasting money on Avishai's recordings. They're solid. The "dissolving boundaries" alluded to by the reviewers isn't a euphamism for free-from noise, but rather Cohen's predilection for Middle Eastern scales. If you'd like to hear Cohen in a more traditional context, check out Chick Corea's "Change".

Smith373 · #4 10-06-2000, 03:38 PM

At last!! A response!! Thanks Christopher. I like the DB different stuff and world music tho I understand AC's music is solid jazz, just with a twist. I'll give it a listen. Christian McBride has a new out, too. Heard that one by any chance? Comments, all?

bassgeek · #5 10-19-2000, 11:35 PM

Smith 373,
The new Avishai Cohen disc is a must-hear. I listen to a jazz station in the NY Metro area(WBGO) that has been playing tracks from this CD often, and I find myself (upon hearing these tracks) saying "I need to get this recording today". Avishai doesn't mess around at all. It would be money well-spent.

Smith373 · #6 10-20-2000, 07:27 AM

Hey thanks, bassgeek!! I bought a few Chick Corea/Origin CDs and got a taste of his style but a solo release is usually more of a personal statement. I asked our local CD place (Disc Jockey, aka, Disc Jokey) to see if he could get in all three. So far no dice. They cater to top 40 types and have this teensey little jazz section with 1996 releases at best. Fine customer service, eh? Anyway, thanks for the tip. Amazon, here I come!! I want to hear Tony Levin's Waters of Eden, too. Picked up some old Mingus stuff. Ah Hum, Oh Yeah and Pre-Bird. "Eat That Chicken" is not quite my style :-) but I like most of his other tunes.
McBride's new one is good and solid.

Bruce Lindfield · #7 10-20-2000, 08:36 AM

I have Avishai Cohen's solo album "Devotion" and I really like it - no "noise" here! It's very much straight ahead small-group Jazz to me, with nice original compositions and rather more bass solos than you would get if the group was led by a sax player, for example - but this is a good thing to me! The solos are great! He mostly plays upright bass and plays electric on one track, I think.

Nice band - Steve Davis on Trombone in particular, but everyone contributes some nice playing and I am sure the group would go down a storm in my local Jazz club - or anybody's local Jazz club!

I didn't notice too many Middle Eastern scales, although one or two of the compositions have a distinct "flavour" which is nice to me and gives the album some character and makes it stand out from the crowd a bit, but in no way is any of it "dissonant" to my ears. I think any of the tracks could be played on a Jazz radio station and wouldn't elicit any complaints - quite the opposite in fact!

I suppose there are some unusual scales in there and some odd time signatures, but what I mean is that none of this stands out and everything is integrated into a Jazz idiom - nothing to unpleasantly suprise anyone with a Jazz sensibility. Even the solo bass tracks are really melodic in some ways (!)and fascinating to me. The second track "The Gift" has this distinct "Middle Eastern" flavour, but when the trombone solos comes in, it could be almost like "Latin Jazz" - the influence has been assimilated and is used by the soloists, but just means to me, that these are more interesting.

Anyway, I've rambled long enough - I can highly recommend "Devotion" to anyone interested in Jazz and especially Jazz Bass playing.

Smith373 · #8 10-20-2000, 09:46 AM

Nice to hear another positive comment. Cheers!

Bruce Lindfield · #9 12-11-2000, 06:15 AM

I still haven't found "Colours" in the UK, but Radio 3 broadcast a concert of Avashai Cohen's band live in concert in London on Saturday night. So I can vouch for this one too - a minimal amount of free blowing, nostly quite melodic stuff and great bass playing!

Bass Boy · #10 12-11-2000, 01:37 PM

I just picked up a latin jazz cd called "Jam Miami-a celebration of latin jazz"(CONCORD). It features Chick Corea, Poncho Sanchez, Sandoval, Escovedo, D'Leon and about fifteen other Latin heavies. Guess who the bassist is? Avishai Cohen!

Bass Boy · #11 12-11-2000, 01:39 PM

Sorry, I should clarify. Nicky Orta plays bass on the big band cuts.

Bruce Lindfield · #12 01-24-2001, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
I still haven't found "Colours" in the UK, but Radio 3 broadcast a concert of Avashai Cohen's band live in concert in London on Saturday night.

Still haven't seen it any shops inthe UK - although other US Jazz CDs have appeared very shortly after their US release, like Christain McBride's Sci-Fi.

So I ordered Colours via Amazon and it came this morning - on first listening it's similar to devotion - standout trombone playing/solos - some Jaco influenced electric (?) and very nice all round. If anyone's interested I might do a fuller review after I've had the chance to listen a few times.

AlexFeldman · #13 01-29-2001, 05:20 PM

Avishai Cohen is great on Origin's (Chick Corea) 'Live At The Blue Note'. It was recorded in '98, I believe. It's worth it for Chick's playing as well as Avishai's.

Smith373 · #14 05-28-2001, 05:18 PM

I picked up the Chic Corea New Trio's new one:Past, Present & Futures. Superb jazz! Cohen on DB. Wonderful bass lines - melodic, distinct. Best of all the entire approach is unified. My opinion, but I cannot stand the dying goose jazz sound (goose on sax, undersexed on drums and drugs on piano). Prefer a bit more relaxed (not Perry Como though) conversational approach. Anyway, PP&F is a well-done piece IMO. Hope you enjoy it.

bullmoose · #15 06-15-2001, 05:20 AM

Avishai's "Adama" album is phenomenal.
I love Devotion but Adama is much more quirky - really different grooves and percussive body hits.
Also, excellent eastern percussion feel on several tracks.
Still looking for Colours in UK.

slapfish · #16 06-21-2001, 08:20 PM

I actually was fortunate enough to see Cohen live in NYC last year...his band put on a great show, and even my father (who isn't really musically savvy) enjoyed it. It could have been a little more "mainstream" for my tastes (kind of like the first track on Devotion), but that's a totally personal thing. Most of the rest of my opinions have already been expressed by the others here.