AVISHAI COHEN TRIO - From Darkness
RAZDAZ RECORDS RD4616
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Lars Nilsson at Nilento Studios, Sweden between May and July 2014
Avishai Cohen (bass) Nitai Hershkovits (piano) Daniel Dor (drums)
The post modern piano trio concept has been around long enough for it to develop its own conventions and so many releases of this nature are issued that one often finds it difficult to differentiate between them so let me quickly say, with all the enthusiasm I can summon, that this stunning new release by composer and bass player, Avishai Cohen isn’t one of them. Sure, I detect elements of Mehldau, EST and yes, even Bad Plus but there are also classical and world music allusions that impart tangible power and depths of profundity that make this a singular release.
All but the final piece are composed by Cohen and I suspect the underlying theme is similar to that employed by Oran Etkin in his disc, `Gathering Light` ( see March reviews) namely the emergence of primal light from the darkness that lay on the face of the Earth at the point of creation and this is illustrated by way of pungent, dark hued cadences from which bright minimalist motives flash into being, the drama of the generative act being depicted in the turbulence of the drumming and reverberating bass lines. The opening piece, a mood setting vignette entitled `Beyond`, made me immediately think of Gustav Mahler , not only because the composer began his works with similar sobriety but also of the near orchestral impact achieved.
The music metaphorically progresses from darkness to light utilising and juxtaposing a diversity of stylistic devices to develop the minimalist motifs from which Cohen builds his themes. From Mahlerian gravitas we proceed through latinesque, bop and rock insouciance taking in Near Eastern folk melodies, dances and lullabies, seemingly encompassing the whole world of music within the compass of a simple piano trio. Except that it isn’t simple: Cohen’s compositions weave complex lines of contrapuntal dialogue and call upon virtuosity of a high order to express their felicities and each instrumentalist steps up to the task magnificently. Hershkovits, who seems to be Cohen’s regular collaborator, bridges the various genres with convincing eloquence and sustained power, Daniel Dor, a new and resourceful associate on drums, stokes the necessary thunder and ticks off the metrics with precision and delicacy whilst Cohen’s articulate and always highly musical bass lines stitch the elements together.
The disc ends with a delightful arrangement of the old standard `Smile`, an optimistic way to end a recital that contains music which seems to reflect upon the human condition and the tensions that animate it, the melody line being stated by the bass and then shared with the piano in a unity of purpose that perhaps serves as a metaphor for the resolution of conflict.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
RAZDAZ RECORDS RD4616
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Lars Nilsson at Nilento Studios, Sweden between May and July 2014
Avishai Cohen (bass) Nitai Hershkovits (piano) Daniel Dor (drums)
The post modern piano trio concept has been around long enough for it to develop its own conventions and so many releases of this nature are issued that one often finds it difficult to differentiate between them so let me quickly say, with all the enthusiasm I can summon, that this stunning new release by composer and bass player, Avishai Cohen isn’t one of them. Sure, I detect elements of Mehldau, EST and yes, even Bad Plus but there are also classical and world music allusions that impart tangible power and depths of profundity that make this a singular release.
All but the final piece are composed by Cohen and I suspect the underlying theme is similar to that employed by Oran Etkin in his disc, `Gathering Light` ( see March reviews) namely the emergence of primal light from the darkness that lay on the face of the Earth at the point of creation and this is illustrated by way of pungent, dark hued cadences from which bright minimalist motives flash into being, the drama of the generative act being depicted in the turbulence of the drumming and reverberating bass lines. The opening piece, a mood setting vignette entitled `Beyond`, made me immediately think of Gustav Mahler , not only because the composer began his works with similar sobriety but also of the near orchestral impact achieved.
The music metaphorically progresses from darkness to light utilising and juxtaposing a diversity of stylistic devices to develop the minimalist motifs from which Cohen builds his themes. From Mahlerian gravitas we proceed through latinesque, bop and rock insouciance taking in Near Eastern folk melodies, dances and lullabies, seemingly encompassing the whole world of music within the compass of a simple piano trio. Except that it isn’t simple: Cohen’s compositions weave complex lines of contrapuntal dialogue and call upon virtuosity of a high order to express their felicities and each instrumentalist steps up to the task magnificently. Hershkovits, who seems to be Cohen’s regular collaborator, bridges the various genres with convincing eloquence and sustained power, Daniel Dor, a new and resourceful associate on drums, stokes the necessary thunder and ticks off the metrics with precision and delicacy whilst Cohen’s articulate and always highly musical bass lines stitch the elements together.
The disc ends with a delightful arrangement of the old standard `Smile`, an optimistic way to end a recital that contains music which seems to reflect upon the human condition and the tensions that animate it, the melody line being stated by the bass and then shared with the piano in a unity of purpose that perhaps serves as a metaphor for the resolution of conflict.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
|
|
|
