Customer Reviews

Gently Disturbed

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I kept seeing the name Avishai Cohen around so I thought I'd listen. A new world opened for me. Then two days ago I saw him at the Blue Note NYC(which turned out to be not that expensive after all). The difference between seeing him and hearing him is the difference between 6th heaven and 7th heaven. Not only has he begun to create a solid body of work but he is a consummate showman - he wins the audience over with his sincerity, modesty, and appreciation of his sidemen. His technique is awesome, the compositions (an amalgam of Bartok, mediteranean, latin, jazz and maximalism [the interesting version of minimalism]) are fresh and intriguing, and the group's cohesion is frightening. The new pianist who replaces Sam Barsh is fine, though I would have liked to see Barsh - see "As Is" the DVD for a view of this wonderful musician/entertainer. Now the drummer. The most visually exciting drummer I've ever seen AND the most musical. I can't imagine anyone being better (better is not the right word as music is not meant to be a competitive sport but language often fails).
All these words and I haven't even really mentioned the music. Well, you know what I'm gonna say! Buy all this guy's music. You won't regret it.
There is one thing. There always is! The music is very composed, arranged and rehearsed. While there is plenty of spontaneity I don't know how much of the music is improvised. I'd like to see Cohen in a trio where the pianist (someone other than Corea) calls the tunes and see what Avishai does. Avi the side man. Maybe that will be a future CD?

This album is great! I love a lot about this album from the compositions which have a little classical influence in them to the percussion which was almost never the same between tracks. The pianist is also great from his runs to improvisation which seemed fresh when he was playing it (I hadn't heard his name before.) What I love the most about this album though would have to be Avishai's contribution to the tracks his bass playing is so incredible it made me smile because some of it was so ridiculously good. All in all i think this is a great addition to the modern jazz collection that Avishai is a big part of. Some of these tracks reminded me of another innovative jazz trio "The Bad Plus" whom i also love listening to. I highly recommend this album to any jazz listener or anyone interested in jazz.
PS sorry for my poorly constructed review

Incredible! Another wonderfully masterful performance. I was first drawn to Avishai for his virtuosity but since then, he has turned into such an fantastic composer. His trio is ridiculously solid and the whole album, with all of its changes in pace and moods, is tight, tight, tight. Don't miss it!

This CD was listed by Downbeat Magazine as one of the best jazz CD's for 2008. I would highly recommend it for those who enjoy hearing a jazz trio play mellow, flowing sets with nice transitions between the trio members. There is also outstanding "knowledge" by each trio member, realizing what the other member is trying to play and complimenting the music making the trio sound as one unit. Some of the bass playing by Avishai Cohen really stands out on Puncha Puncha and Variations in G Minor, reminding you of other great bass players such as Eddie Gomez (played with Bill Evans). Other songs such as Eleven Wives have a "Bad Plus" feel to them. So if you like Bad Plus, but wish you could find a more mellow and listenable Bad Plus, then this trio CD is a must for you. Overall, every song and the whole CD weave you in and out of great interplay and transition playing by three excellent musicians. An excellent CD.

great pleasure listening this record : soft & gentle atmosphere, super sound. It's not jazz, it's not pop, it's not rock, it's another musical way. please, listen at night, few lights, comfortable...

After seeing this trio at the Blue Note in New York, I was inspired to pick up this cd and actually ended seeing them again the next night. All I can say is that I can not stop listening to this cd!!!! All three members are incredible. Shai's subtle and deceivingly simple greatness compliments Avishai's upfront role as bandleader perfectly. Mark's drumming is awesome and original, steering clear of any sort of common drumbeat. All three sound great when soloing (which Avishai does most of), but since the band is basically just a rhythm section, they can groove really hard too!!! Honestly though, i can not say enough great things about this cd!!! Buy it!!

Like another reviewer here, I too first heard a song from Avishai Cohen a few months back on a local jazz radio show. The song drew me in like few others, and I needed to sit in my idle car in a dark driveway until the announcer came back on and told me who was making the beautiful music. [I jotted down something like "Abishie Coen"!] Then a friend with eclectic musical tastes turned me on to a couple of his titles. "Gently Disturbed" is now the 5th Avishai Cohen album that I've purchased this past summer, and it is (imho) his masterpiece (so far). Beautiful piano playing, interesting drumming that tackles all of the changing time signatures, and Cohen's unique bass playing - it all makes for a one-of-a-kind listening experience that never falters.

I love his earlier cd's that feature a fuller band sound too, reminiscent at times of Weather Report and the like. But this great new talent in the world of jazz really hits the cover off the ball with his latest effort here. Highly recommended.

I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 9.3/10; Performance = 9.5/10; Production = 9.1; CD length = 8/10
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 9.3 ("5 stars")

I'm not a big jazz-head, but I happened to flip to my local public radio station just as song from this CD was playing, and I had to find out who the musicians are. There was a freshness, especially to the drumming, that really drew me in. I contacted the radio station and the jazz programmer told me who they were and that my reaction was typical--drummers seem to really love this CD. I haven't drummed in many years and was never more than a adequate rock and blues drummer, but I know enough to appreciate talent when I run across it. This is an unusual CD with a several truly wonderful songs on it. And by playing up the drum work I don't mean to damn with faint praise the other two members of the trio, the bassist and pianist. All the musicianship is top-notch, solid stuff. It's just, the percussion work really rises above the norm.