Avishai Cohen’s third album with Omer Avital (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums) is a pensive and attractive project that adds a bit of additional flavor to the first two Triveni efforts. Avishai’s sister, Anat, plays clarinet in two tracks, with Gerald Clayton on keyboards and Keren Ann singing on one track.
The album was recorded “live,” with no more than two takes per song and with the ensemble playing together in the studio without headphones. Cohen (an Israeli born New Yorker) plays a trumpet that is often subtle but always creative and vibrant. The ten songs are a mix of original compositions as well as standards, with Mingus’ Goodbye Pork Pie Hat being a highlight.
The trio is playing in Kansas tonight as I write, at the Take Five in Overland Park. Cohen is having fun and the crowd is responding well to his improvisations. His playing, much like his stage conversation, is understated with bursts of energy, all in a manner that attracts attention. His set started with two songs from the disc, Dark Nights, Darker Days, and You in all Directions, as well as October 25 from the first Triveni.
He was kind enough to chat with me before his set and told me the new disc is dedicated to his father, “also David.” A wonderful, musical tribute. Now I shall close and listen some more.
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