“At Home”, Avishai Cohen’s sixth release as a leader includes eleven intensely beautiful songs, including Avishai’s world smash hit ballad “Remembering,” performed by Sam Barsh on piano and Mark Guiliana on drums. The album is backed by an ensemble of special guests, including Yosvany Terry (saxophone, chekere), Anne Drummond (flute), Diego Urcola (trumpet) and Jeff Ballard (drums, percussion).
“At Home” reflects on and celebrates locations, relationships, thoughts and realizations that Cohen has experienced in his various journeys across the globe, all the while disclosing the bassist composer’s innermost excitement and reflection.
In Jazzwise Magazine UK, Stuart Nicholson, reflecting on “At Home”, said “for my money[it’s] the most considered and best realised of all.” Indeed, Cohen shows his many gifts as a melodic composer, strong soloist and provocative master as never before, mirrored in the trio and ensemble’s brilliant performances.
Through “Feediop”’s seductive looping theme – with its sneaky accelerations and sporadic tweaks to the intended harmony – and “Madrid”’s beautiful, carol-like melody, “Leh- Lah”’s folk-dance theme and percussive strength, and on through Bar-sheshet’s piano improvisations against Mark Guiliana’s fat-in-a-pan drumming (“Punk DJN”), wistful brass harmonies and airy flute digressions (“Mediterranean Sun”), Avishai Cohen’ music is consistently riveting, but without eclipsing the creativity of the improvisers.
Avishai Cohen is “At Home”, whether in his native Israel, his adopted home in New York City, or on the road, where he finds himself most of each year, performing his music.
From the seductive looping theme of Feediop . . . and the lovely, carol-like melody of Madrid, the folk-dance theme and percussive intensity of Leh-Lah, and on through furious piano improvisations [from Sam Barsh] against Mark Guiliana’s fat-in-a-pan drumming (Punk), wistful brass harmonies and airy flute ruminations (Meditteranean Sun), the music is consistently riveting, but without eclipsing the ingenuity of the improvisers. Avishai Cohen is back…
John Fordham, The Guardian UK
At Home is gratifying on just about every artistic level and is a master musician’s new and energetic rendering of what improvised music can be.
Double Bassist Magazine
Art design: Michal Katz
Avishai Photography: Daniel Kedem
Avishai Photography location: David Gage bass shop. NYC
Producer: Avishai Cohen
Executive Producer: Ray Jefford
Razdaz Recordz Production mailto: razdaz@avishaimusic.com
All tracks written and arranged by Avishai Cohen.
Published by GADU MUSIC/BMI
Except track 3. co written/arranged with Mark Guiliana.
HEERNT MUSIC/BMI, Yosvany Terry SGE/SPAIN & Sam Barsh BARSH MUSIC/BMI
Track 5.co written/arranged with Mark Guiliana.
HEERNT MUSIC/BMI & Sam Barsh BARSH MUSIC/BMI.
All tracks were recorded and mixed by Bernie Kirsh between the 14th – 20th April 2004 at Beartrack Studios, Suffern. NY. Mastered by Steve Fallone at Sterling Sound.
New York. April 2004.
