Avishai Cohen at Wrocław’s Guitar Festival: Israeli double bass and jazz freedom

His performance will open the annual Guitar Celebration, culminating in the now-traditional Guinness Guitar Record attempt on 1 May in Wrocław's Market Square. For students and lovers of bass guitar and double bass, this concert is a must!

Avishai Cohen comes to Wrocław to promote his latest album, “From Darkness”.

At the concert in the Gothic Hall at Stary Klasztor, he will appear in a virtuoso line-up: Avishai Cohen – bass, vocals, Omri Mor – piano and Daniel Dor – drums.

Avishai Cohen has been called a joyful genius of the double bass. His music combines Middle Eastern, Eastern European and African influences. He is a visionary within the genre and one of the most interesting musicians of recent years, recording for the legendary Blue Note label. Avishai Cohen is one of the most compelling and sought-after jazz musicians of the past decade. Down Beat magazine described him as “one of the figures opening jazz up to new territories”. Avishai also has a unique ability to combine sophisticated music with broad popularity.

His career truly took off through his collaboration with Chick Corea. Between 1996 and 2003, Avishai was a mainstay of the Origin sextet and Chick Corea New Trio. The years spent under the celebrated leader’s wing prompted widespread discussion of Avishai as a rising bass star and an undisputed virtuoso. He played countless concerts with Chick Corea and gradually became the rhythmic pillar of almost all his artistic ventures. Beyond working with Corea, Cohen has recorded or performed with many jazz stars, including Bobby McFerrin, Herbie Hancock, Paquito D'Rivera and Danilo Perez. His first groups and recordings under his own name date from 1998.

Since then, Avishai has recorded more than a dozen albums and performed at every major festival worldwide. In recent years, his combination of double bass playing and singing has caused a sensation. He does it remarkably, as the great success of his latest albums confirms.

“The sincerity of the vocals, the beauty of the songs and the multicultural atmosphere have won the love of people in every corner of the globe.”

“One can say without hesitation that this is a very mature work: an album (»Seven Seas«) carrying a kind of multicultural fusion, bringing us closer to the reality of an odyssey, its title and sound evoking legends of the sea.”

Wrocław audiences had the opportunity to appreciate Avishai Cohen’s talent in 2008 at the 29th Stage Songs Review and at Ethno Jazz Festival 2014.

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