Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen began as a pianist, before switching to bass guitar after hearing Jaco Pastorius. Sticking with the bass, he has composed music and led a band for many years (also singing and occasionally playing guitar or piano). On the path to discovering his own style, the young bassist stopped off to play in Chick Corea’s sextet Origin at the end of the 1990s, and his musical development was also enriched by spells with Latin jazz pianist Danilo Perez and singer Bobby McFerrin. Having performed for a long time in a trio, Cohen expanded to a quintet for his latest album Aurora. Although following in the footsteps of mainstream jazz and jazz-rock bassists (with the influence of Charles Mingus, Dave Holland, Jaco Pastorius, Ray Brown, Charlie Haden and Stanley Clarke all leaving their mark on his playing), he has also explored the labyrinth of world music, with compositions that often blend Arab, Andalusian and Jewish melodies while remaining grounded in the jazz idiom. His latest album adds his voice to the mix, which by his own admission took time for him to warm to and accept – but whoever hears Cohen’s clear singing will quickly realize how much it contributes to his music. Cohen’s original trio has expanded to a quintet with the inclusion of oud and reeds. Presented by the Palace of Arts

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