Jazz for chamber rooms

Bassist extraordinaire and composer Avishai Cohen makes his annual visit to Prague this weekend, this time with a quintet. But instead of playing another sold-out show at a small venue, he will be performing at a larger venue usually reserved for classical ensembles, the Rudolfinum.

Currently on tour through France and Austria with a one-night stop in Prague, Avishai spoke to The Prague Post from his hotel room in Innsbruck. Asked about the change of venue, he explains, "I've done many club appearances in Prague at rock and jazz venues with lots of people in the audience standing. But we are trying to establish a relationship with towns, so we have a different environment for each show. With this band, chamber music rooms suit it best. So finally we are going to try it. I'm excited to go for it."

The last time Cohen was here, it was with his Vocal Project, with backing by a nine-member Israeli jazz ensemble. That performance was more ritualistic groove-chants than straight-ahead jazz, and the charming young vocalist Karin Malka practically stole the show.

Malka is with Cohen on this tour, along with percussionist Itamar Doari, a member of the Israeli ensemble. Rounding out the group are Amos Hoffman on oud and a rising star, virtuoso pianist Shai Maestro.

This group represents a new chapter in Cohen's career, as does his latest release, Aurora, recorded for the prestigious Blue Note (EMI-France) label. This is an achievement that practically all young jazz musicians aspire to, and Cohen has, in a sense, clinched the grand prize. Born in Israel in 1970, he studied classical jazz and bass in Israel and St. Louis before moving to New York in 1992. In 1996, he joined Chick Corea's sextet Origin, and since then has led his own bands.

Aurora is a great leap from his earlier jazz sound, in particular his best-known release with his trio, As Is ... Live at the Blue Note (2007). Aurora continues in the direction of the Vocal Project, incorporating Hebrew folk music, with Cohen singing in Hebrew, English and Spanish. Many songs have a classical music-meets-Middle Eastern ethno-pop feel, particularly the haunting love ballads. But, in the end, it's still Cohen's newer jazz - the groove chants on "Leolam" or the irrepressible, Israeli-tinged Latin tempos at the close of Aurora - that leave the listener in awe.

"I'm always in the new thing, so I don't choose to play older music," Cohen says. "For this tour, we are playing Aurora and four or five new tunes."

Asked if the many dates in France on this tour are at the prompting of Blue Note, Cohen laughs and says it was the other way around - his popularity in France attracted the label.

"I've developed a following in France, and that was the reason that Blue Note started to be interested in putting out a record," he says. "These days, it's only if you have something, if you are in a strong place - then the big labels will be interested."

Nor, he says, has Blue Note expressed any reservations about his excursions away from typical jazz sounds. "Because they followed me in the last years, they were not surprised. Actually, they wanted me to sing, and go for what I wanted: a combination of instrumental and vocal music."

Up to now, Cohen had been releasing his music solely on his label, Razdaz Recordz, which continues to operate. "Razdaz is alive and kicking," assures Cohen. "My [older] titles are very much in demand, and this keeps it going. Besides, I still have [other] recordings coming out, which means we will keep some music on Razdaz. I'm not sure who I will put out my next record with. I'll be putting out a new one with Karin Malka, but not soon."

Best of all, Cohen says he will continue to return to Prague on a regular basis.

"First, I'm one-quarter Czech from my father's side," he says. "Then, Prague is a city from a children's book - a very colorful place. It's one of the only places in that area of Europe that I like. It's like a big city like Berlin or New York, but in a more delicate way. I like it a lot. I like the people there a lot, too."

Tony Ozuna can be reached at
features@praguepost.com