Avishai Cohen

Born in the Kibbutz of Kabri, Israel, on April 20, 1970, Avishaï Cohen grew up near Jerusalem, learning the piano before taking up bass guitar at the age of 14, then jazz double bass with teacher Michael Klinghoffer. A student at the Jerusalem Academy of Music, he then moved to New York to study with pianist Danilo Perez, who invited him to join his trio. In 1997, Avishaï Cohen was invited to join pianist Chick Corea's two new ensembles: Chick Corea's New Trio and the Origin Ensemble, with which he collaborated for six years. He also takes part in the recording of two classical works, Spain: Concerto for Sextet & Orchestra and Piano Concerto No.1 (1999). In addition to sessions for Nnenna Freelon, Orrin Evans, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Seamus Blake, Avishaï Cohen produced the first albums under his own name, Adama (1998), Devotion (1999) and Colors (2000), as well as two others with The International Vamp Band, for Stretch Records. On subsequent albums for Sunnyside, his compositions sometimes take on oriental or Latin influences: Lyla (2003), Continuo (2006) and At Home (2005), credited to Avishaï Cohen Trio & Ensemble. The trio he forms with Shai Maestro and Mark Guiliana on Gently Disturbed and Night of Magic (2008), continues with Nitai Hershkovits and Daniel Dor on From Darkness (2015). Signed in the meantime by the Blue Note label, he produced the albums Aurora (2009), Seven Seas (2010) and Duende (2012), in duet with Hershkovits, then invested himself in different projects in the company of new musicians: Almah (2013), recorded with an oriental string ensemble, and 1970 (2017), with a pop-rock focus, followed by Arvoles (2019) and Two Roses (2021), the latter with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Hanson. The following year saw the release of Shifting Sands (2022), a trio opus featuring Elchin Shirinov (piano) and Roni Kaspi (drums). The latter then took part, with Guy Moskovich, in Brightlight (2024), which followed Avishai Cohen's collaboration with percussionist Abraham Rodriguez, Jr. on the Afro-Cuban album Iroko (2023).