Avishai Cohen at Ethno Jazz Festival: double bass, singing and a multicultural jazz language

Ethno Jazz Festival invites you to the White Stork Synagogue on 22 May for the long-awaited concert by one of jazz’s leading musicians, Israel’s Avishai Cohen.

Avishai Cohen is called the joyful genius of the double bass.

His music combines Middle Eastern, Eastern European and African influences. He is a visionary of the genre and one of the most interesting musicians of recent years. He records for the legendary Blue Note label.

Avishai Cohen is one of the past decade's most interesting and sought-after jazz musicians. Down Beat called him “one of the figures opening jazz to new areas”. He 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 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 bands as a leader and recordings under his own name date back to 1998. Since then, Avishai has recorded more than a dozen albums, released roughly every year, and performed at all the major festivals around the world.

Avishai’s combination of double bass playing and singing has been a sensation in recent years. He does it with extraordinary skill, as the great success of his latest albums clearly confirms.

“The sincerity of the vocal delivery, the beauty of the songs and the multicultural atmosphere have won people's love in every corner of the globe.” “One can say without hesitation that this is a very mature work: an album (‘Seven Seas’) offering a kind of multicultural fusion, drawing us closer to an odyssey and evoking maritime legends in its title and sound.”

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

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