Avishai Cohen – Bass

Avishai Cohen, born in Kabri, Israel on April 20th, 1970, has over the course of his career helped bring the bass into the spotlight and has pushed the boundaries of jazz. His work has earned him international awards and global recognition, and  as the prestigious  Miles Davis Award presented at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2023. Avishai has developed a strong network of followers and listeners, striking a chord with the audience wherever he has performed. Meanwhile, his unique compositions have been used in many films, TV and other media worldwide. The stage is undoubtedly a place where Avishai feels at home, so much so that attending one of his live performances is probably the best way to get acquainted with his musical universe. DownBeat magazine called Avishai “a jazz visionary of global proportions” while Bass Player magazine declared him one of the “100 most influential bass players of the twentieth century”

Avishai arrived in a wintry New York, January 1992. He enrolled at the New School in New York City and was a contemporary there of such artists as Brad Mehldau and Peter Bernstein. Avishai was soon to be performing and recording with Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez’s Trio, reflecting the essential role that Latin music played in Avishai’s early years in New York.

In 1997 a call from Chick Corea changed everything. Avishai had prepared for this moment. He had passed one of Corea’s friends a demo tape. Chick listened to it in his car and called Avishai back a few weeks later, blown away by its freshness. As a co-founder of Corea’s Origin ensemble and a member of Corea’s New Trio, for over six years Avishai became an integral part of Chick’s music and received the opportunity to fine-tune his skills as bassist, composer and bandleader. Performing and touring with the master pianist played an important part in shaping Avishai’s musicianship. Avishai considers Chick a teacher, colleague and dear belated friend.

(biographical details from www.avishaicohen.com)

I saw Cohen play in a small venue in Suffolk when he was touring in support of his 2005 album, ‘At Home’. I vividly remember this track and it’s one I go to occasionally for a visit. The transcription is only the first 113 bars of Cohen’s part and I didn’t transcribe the solo as it is all over the shop (Cohen is renowned for his mastery of complex rhythms and these are complex) but it is a simple little piece (up to a point) and a good exercise for note recognition as most of the chart is semi-breves on the one. It’s a pretty little tune.