22-12-2017, 17:32
AVISHAI COHEN - 1970
![[Image: 0004757790.jpg]](https://cdn-s3.allmusic.com/release-covers/500/0004/757/0004757790.jpg)
Oh.My.Gosh! No idea how I managed to miss this October release, except I rather suspect quite a few albums that aren’t exactly mainstream slip well under the radar. Avishai Cohen is a virtuoso bassist and generally plays in jazz ensembles – he was mentored by Chick Corea. This is a surprising and much lighter departure from his regular fare, and what a pleasant one it is too! I didn’t know he could sing – have only heard instrumental work from him, but he has a rather pleasing baritone(ish) and on this album, he plays acoustic bass, electric bass and piano. Cohen was born in 1970 and his compositions and the couple of covers/traditional songs (some Israeli, some not + one Beatles) scattered throughout are intended to represent that era in some way – clearly personal some of the time. It appears that aside from being a virtuoso musician, he has a few other talents – producing and arranging being some of ‘em.
There are some really nice grooves going on here, and some funkiness – well developed, big round warm sounds, I like it a lot – it’s a bit of a feast for my ears. Happy Christmas to me – this one’s definitely going in the ‘ol stocking!!
"Emptiness" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITg1H3h3Zuc
His interpretation of "Motherless Child"
Oh.My.Gosh! No idea how I managed to miss this October release, except I rather suspect quite a few albums that aren’t exactly mainstream slip well under the radar. Avishai Cohen is a virtuoso bassist and generally plays in jazz ensembles – he was mentored by Chick Corea. This is a surprising and much lighter departure from his regular fare, and what a pleasant one it is too! I didn’t know he could sing – have only heard instrumental work from him, but he has a rather pleasing baritone(ish) and on this album, he plays acoustic bass, electric bass and piano. Cohen was born in 1970 and his compositions and the couple of covers/traditional songs (some Israeli, some not + one Beatles) scattered throughout are intended to represent that era in some way – clearly personal some of the time. It appears that aside from being a virtuoso musician, he has a few other talents – producing and arranging being some of ‘em.
There are some really nice grooves going on here, and some funkiness – well developed, big round warm sounds, I like it a lot – it’s a bit of a feast for my ears. Happy Christmas to me – this one’s definitely going in the ‘ol stocking!!
"Emptiness" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITg1H3h3Zuc
His interpretation of "Motherless Child"
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson