Bebop with Theophilus

Jazzman Avishai Cohen, 43, has garnered many accolades including “one of the 100 most influential bass players of the 20th century” (Bass Player magazine); “a jazz visionary of global proportions” (DownBeat magazine); “a genius musician” and “a great composer” as described by his mentor, pianist Chick Corea.

By Andrea Ovanezian

My first chance to witness this versatile musician perform live will be in Bucharest, where Cohen will be playing at Sala Radio on April 25, along with two younger Israeli jazz talents – pianist Nitai Hershkovits, 24, and drummer Ofri Nehemya, 18. If you’re lucky, tickets may still be available from Eventim.ro and its retail network.

In my estimation, Cohen is foremost a brilliant and intelligent composer, particularly at a time when contemporary composers of this caliber are rarely acknowledged. He has developed a genuine sound while incorporating a vast range of world music genres such as bebop and contemporary jazz, Middle Eastern, Ladino, Latino and classical music. In addition to performing with headline artists from the bebop/post-bop/neo-bop jazz scenes, Cohen has played with the Israel and London philharmonic orchestras and the Boston Pops Symphony, while also pursuing his own orchestral projects.

As diverse as his musical styles, Cohen’s many talents encompass sideman, band leader, artistic director of the Red Sea Jazz Festival (2009-2011), mentor and entrepreneur. Demonstrating that both David and Goliath can co-exist in the fiercely competitive music industry, Cohen has released 13 proprietary albums via indie and major labels (four on Chick Corea’s label Stretch Records, six on Cohen’s Razdaz Recordz and three on EMI’s Blue Note label). Cohen signed with EMI Music France in 2008 after returning to his native Israel, following a successful two-decade stretch in the jazz capital New York. Remarkably, Blue Note celebrates its 74th anniversary this year, even though its mother ship EMI has been sailing troubled seas since 2006. UMG (owned by Vivendi) acquired EMI in September 2012, and EMI has been significantly reorganized this year due to regulatory demands.

Cohen’s latest CD Duende (released in 2012 on EMI/Blue Note), which has its roots in jazz and classical music with subtle Middle Eastern tones, features the wonderfully strange rhythms and harmonies that are Cohen’s signature, and delivers a first-class duo performance by Cohen and Hershkovits. While some reviewers place Duende in the chamber jazz genre, I simply choose to call it “muzica faina”. Although unpretentious in its packaging and marketing, Duende is a rare jewel consisting of nine gems carefully selected and carved out by Cohen – three tracks are jazz standards (from Monk, Coltrane and Porter) beautifully arranged by Cohen and Hershkovits, and six are Cohen’s own compositions.

The CD was produced by Cohen and recorded by Lars Nilsson at Nilento Studio in Sweden (an indie studio that Cohen has previously collaborated with, yielding impeccable results). Aspiring music composers, arrangers and producers can truly consider Duende as their master class in 31:59.

The CD’s first track (Signature) opens the door to what could be a living room jam session, invites us in, and introduces us to the summoned musicians (past and present). The three jazz standards inspire us to play (Criss Cross/Thelonius Monk), to celebrate (All of You/Cole Porter) and to travel (Central Park West/ John Coltrane). Cohen’s double bass and Hershovits’ piano playing tease the wonder out of these so-called standards. Moreover, their distinctive arrangements and improvisations render them genuine acoustic conversations with each other, with the bebop masters, and with the listener. My favorite is the duo’s sublime interpretation of Central Park West, which magically transports me to another state of mind (as well as a familiar Manhattan location).

Cohen’s own compositions (three new plus three prior covers) are simply yet profoundly lyrical, evoking an array of emotions through musical storytelling without words. A story and its several versions unfold, as the piano and double bass trade melody and accompaniment, take turns to solo, or play together in the uncommon parallel rhythms and harmonies that are Cohen’s signature. Even if you are unfamiliar with the musical terminology of parallel meters and Mozart fifths, they are impossible to miss in Cohen’s compositions, which evoke the jazz idiom, the music of Mozart and the Pythagorean “music of the spheres”.

Soof (a new track named after Cohen’s bride) is my favorite album track since it represents the best of his compositional elements and musical styles. The Hebrew translation of soof is “reed”, and this track lyrically renders all of nature’s elements blowing through the sea reeds. Most notable among Cohen’s older compositions that receive a fresh interpretation are Ann’s Tune, which invokes an ever evolving etude, and Calm which appeals to structure in emotion.

The CD’s last track (Ballad for An Unborn) is a new composition which Cohen performs as a piano solo. With that he concludes the magical jam session, dims the house lights and places a candle in the window for those ever-present spirits.

Duende derives from a Spanish term with a rich history and extensive definition that several eloquent writers have engaged with, and which roughly translates as spirit, soul or mojo. Though contemporary rock musician Nick Cave once lamented that “duende is too fragile to survive the brutality of technology and the ever increasing acceleration of the music industry”, I seem to have found proof of the contrary. If you are interested in discovering the meaning of “duende”, consider Cohen’s CD and forthcoming concert as your open invitations.

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