Cohen started his musical training on piano and took up electric bass as a teenager. In 1992 he moved to New York City, where he attended the New School’s Mannes College of Music and studied upright bass with Andy Gonzalez. That connection led to a gig with pianist Danilo Perez’s trio, and in 1996 Cohen became a founding member of Chick Corea’s Origin sextet. He played with the pioneering keyboardist until 2002, and he has also backed jazz lights such as Herbie Hancock and Paquito D’Rivera and performed with the London Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, and Boston Pops. In 1998 he made his solo-CD debut with Adama. Cohen, who is currently living back in Israel, now boasts a discography of ten albums, most recently on his own Razdaz label.
What’s your inspiration for odd-time grooves like the one in “Eleven Wives”? Is that a traditional rhythm?
With that one, I was hanging out with a friend, a percussionist, and we were playing this groove in 11/8—he divided it three, four, four. Off that, I did the piano line that defines “Eleven Wives.” I tend to do that sometimes, to find some authentic ways of playing the piano—ways that nobody else plays because they know better. Sometimes I’m lucky enough that something comes out of me that I believe has had a former life, something that sounds like folkloric music. That’s what happened with this groove. It’s just a place. It came out really funky because of the way Mark plays over it. He took the pulse from the left hand, which is doing something totally opposite of what the right hand plays.
Do you have any special ways of locking into odd-time grooves?
My thing with odd meters is very natural— I never really think of it. I never have an intention to play in odd meters; I don’t fancy playing music for the sake of complexity. But I hear odd rhythms that groove in some way. I come up with things that I naturally hear, and then I say, okay, this is three to five to six or whatever, and it’s interesting to see what comes out of it mathematically. For me an odd rhythm is just like a regular rhythm but … not [laughs]. It carries a melody that brings you in, though it might have a seriously complex translation to it. I listen to what’s in me, and it usually serves a melody that’s hidden there. If there’s no melodic sense to it, there’s no sense to it.
Do you have a technique for teaching your band those kinds of rhythms?
With my music it can be really hard at the beginning—that’s why I try to get enough gigs so they can start hearing it [laughs]. I do have things that repeat in different tunes—I use a lot of groups of five within a bigger meter. After a while they pick up on the nature of what it is—they start hearing the language—and they find it easier to deal with new tunes I bring. But sometimes we get stuck a bit on something until we get it.
In solos, your vibrato is very expressive. Do have a particular concept about producing it?
I don’t actually. But I play with a lot of bow when I practice, and with the bow you naturally play vibrato, and that translates into your pizz playing. I never think about it, but now that you’ve mentioned it, I’m going to listen for it.
Do you think your vibrato might be inspired by vocalists?
Sure. I’m singing more than ever these days, so maybe that’s part of it. Vocals are the closest thing to the truth.
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It seems your tone has developed in depth over the years. Is that something you’ve worked on?
That’s probably the benefit of playing all these years and listening to my own sound and realizing things, and listening to bass players with the sound that I like, or just maturing with the bass. I hear my tone from ten years ago and I like it, but I definitely hear that it’s not as profound. It was pretty good for what it was, but now I have more confidence and I’m more one with the instrument. So I guess it’s coming out more.
When you’re playing unison lines with the piano, do you ever play deliberately off pitch to affect the sound?
Interesting question. More than anything else my thing is to be with the piano, but naturally sometimes I’m not, because it’s so difficult. So I’ve encountered a place where it’s very close but not totally with it, because when you’re totally with it you kind of disappear. For every one of us, the placement of our pitches is slightly off. In my case sometimes it’s more and sometimes it’s less, and I’ve learned to love that sound. When it’s slightly off it has a chorus vibe to it, and it makes the bass line stand out more.
I’ve heard that in some of your lines, and it sounds like a conscious choice.
`Let’s put it this way—the choice would be not to correct it. When it’s too out of tune it’s horrible, but when it’s slightly out of tune it has a character that distinguishes who you are. It’s like most singers—their pitch is either a bit high or a bit low, and that’s a lot of what makes them who they are.
Are you still playing electric?
Oh, yeah; I’m playing a bunch now. I’m working on a new project that’s me singing Hebrew melodies and traditional stuff from Israel—a lot of roots music—and I’m playing more electric than upright on that record. So when we play shows with that music, I play more electric, which I love.
CAN BE HEARD ON
Avishai Cohen Trio, (all on Razdaz) Gently Disturbed [2008], As Is … Live at the Blue Note [CD/DVD; 2007], Continuo [2006]; Diego Urcola, Viva [CAMJazz, 2006]; Chick Corea & Origin, Rendezvous in New York (DVD) [Image, 2006]
CURRENTLY SPINNING
“Some old Israeli music, Gnarls Barkley’s second album [The Odd Couple; Downtown], and Joni Mitchell with strings [Both Sides Now; Reprise].”
GEAR
Basses Acoustic: Circa-1910 carved G.A. Pfretzschner upright with Thomastik Spirocore Weichs, German-style bow; electrics: ’73 Fender Jazz; custom Marco 5- and 6-strings; Ernie Ball/Music Man StingRay; GHS Super Steel strings “The Jazz Bass is where I’m most comfortable, because I grew up on those.” Rigs Upright: David Gage Realist pickup, Electro-Voice RE-20 mic; electric: Aguilar AG 500SC head, Aguilar GS 410 4x10 cabinet “I use very little upright amplification onstage; I’m mainly amplified through the mic. I place it on the left side, usually a little below or at the same height as the bridge, about ten centimeters from the bass.”