1. Avishai Cohen (born 1970 in Jerusalem) is an Israeli jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He was raised by a musical family, and as a child he started playing piano. After a few years he moved to the bass guitar. Later, after playing in the army for a while, he moved to New York City. After performing some small clubs, he was noticed by Chick Corea and was given a record contract. He has performed in two of Chick Corea's bands, "Origin" and the "Chick Corea New Trio".
After having recorded "Adama" in 1997 and "Colors" three years later, Avishai decided to create his own label in 2003. The label released its debut CD, "Lyla" in September 2003. In February of 2005 Razdaz Recordz released "At Home", an album that was arguably Avishai Cohen's most compelling and striking new recording to date.
That is until the artist conceived of, and recorded his newest studio CD, the spectacularly beautiful, "Continuo". Cohen’s third recording on his label Razdaz Recordz, and his seventh as a leader, was recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden in December 2005 with Avishai's core trio of pianist/keyboardist Sam Barsh and drummer/percussionist Mark Guiliana.
New album "Gently Disturbed" released in 2008 performed by Avishai's trio. Avishai also shows more of his "Avishai Cohen & Ensemble" on their world tour.
2. Avishai E. Cohen - trumpet player, who received the Clark Terry award. He recorded under his own name, with his brother and sister as the '3 Cohens', and with 'Third World Love'. Bio excerpt from his website (http://www.avishaicohenmusic.com/):
Albums under his own name are The Trumpet Player & After the Big Rain & Triveni II
Avishai Cohen is a leading figure on the international jazz scene and one of the most sought-after players of his generation — “an assertive and accomplished trumpeter with a taste for modernism,” according to Nate Chinen of The New York Times. Though deeply rooted in the bebop and post-bop tradition, Avishai is taking jazz in new directions, making waves as an improviser, composer and bandleader. Originally from Tel Aviv, he began performing at age 10. He toured the world with the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and went on to become the trumpet player of choice for many leading jazz, rock, pop, studio and television projects. He received a full scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and in 1997 he placed third in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz Trumpet Competition.
Avishai came of age as part of the fertile scene at Smalls, the storied New York jazz club, where he developed his artistic vision alongside such friends and colleagues as pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Omer Avital and vocalist Claudia Acuña. Here the imperatives of jazz tradition and innovation were not in conflict, but rather merged into one powerful creative stream. Avishai flourished in an environment where hard-driving swing, open-ended funk, Latin and Middle Eastern rhythms, complex extended forms and free improvisation converged under one roof, drawing enthusiastic audiences. All of Avishai’s diverse work, as a leader, co-leader and sideman, is informed by this broad-minded legacy, which has given jazz new vitality and relevance in the 21st century.
Avishai made his debut as a leader in 2003 with The Trumpet Player, a burning straightahead session with bassist John Sullivan (Roy Haynes), drummer Jeff Ballard (Chick Corea, Pat Metheny) and special guest Joel Frahm on tenor. His second album, After the Big Rain, is the last part of “The Big Rain Trilogy,” a series of recordings that is now nearing completion. The trilogy also includes Before the Big Rain (part one), a large-group outing, and The Big Rain (part two), a trio encounter with Yonatan Avishai on piano and Daniel Freedman on percussion. Avishai’s music is alternately moody and joyous, richly atmospheric yet beat-driven and grooving, suffused with compositional depth, inspired improvisation and a profound world-music influence. Avishai plays open and muted trumpet but also routes his horn through electronic effects that range from the dreamy to the snarling and distorted. He’s been developing these sounds over the course of the last decade. “When I play effects, I play a different instrument,” he says. “The whole concept changes.”
Avishai’s other credits range from touring with the celebrated French-American singer-songwriter Keren Ann, to sharing the stage with the great Bobby Hutcherson in the all-star San Francisco Jazz Collective. In addition, Avishai is the co-leader of Third World Love, with Omer Avital, drummer Daniel Freedman and pianist Yonatan Avishai, a group with four recordings to its credit. He also leads a funk-oriented band with bassist Me’shell Ndegeocello and drummer Adam Deitch, and continues to perform extensively with the 3 Cohens, which he formed with his sister Anat and brother Yuval, both gifted reeds players. With his incredible instrumental skill and world-spanning musical interests, Avishai, in the words of critic Ben Ratliff, “has all the power and tenacity he’s going to need.
Avishai is the chosen artist of Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation (IcExcellence) since 2004.
El Hatzipor
Avishai Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the warm countries to my window -
How my soul longs to hear your pleasant voice
in winter when you leave my dwelling.
Sing, tell, dear bird,
From a land of wondrous distance,
are the troubles and suffering great
Does the dew descend as pearls on Mount Hermon?
Does it come down and fall like tears?
And how is the Jordan and its clear waters?
And how are the mountains, the hills?
And my brothers that are working
And planting with tears will take
The harvest with Joy
My tears have dried up, all hope is fled
Yet there is no end to my grief,
Greetings upon your return, my dear bird,
Raise up your voice and sing!
The lyrics to Avishai Cohen's song El Hatzipor convey a sense of longing and desperation for human connection and relief from suffering. The singer welcomes back a bird who has returned from warmer countries to perch on their window. The singer is envious of the bird's freedom to fly away to warmer climates when the winter comes, while they are left behind in their dwelling. The singer asks the bird to sing and tell them about the distant land from which it has returned.
The singer is curious about the conditions in the bird's homeland, wondering if the troubles and suffering are as great there as they are in the singer's world. The singer asks about the natural landscape, such as the dew on Mount Hermon and the clear waters of the Jordan River, as well as the well-being of their fellow humans, whom they refer to as "my brothers." Despite the singer's sense of despair and grief, they find hope in the return of the bird and encourage it to sing with joy.
Overall, the lyrics of El Hatzipor convey a message of longing for connection with others, a desire for relief from suffering, and a glimmer of hope in the return of the bird. The use of natural imagery and the reference to the bird's return from a distant place add depth and richness to the themes of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome upon your return sweet bird,
I am glad to see you again, little bird, after your absence from my window during the cold season.
From the warm countries to my window -
You have come back after spending time in a hotter area, and now you are at my window.
How my soul longs to hear your pleasant voice
I have been waiting eagerly to hear the sweet sound of your singing.
in winter when you leave my dwelling.
I will miss you when you fly away again during the winter season.
Sing, tell, dear bird,
Please sing and share with me your stories, dear bird.
From a land of wondrous distance,
Tell me of the faraway places you have visited.
are the troubles and suffering great
Do they have many problems and pains there, too?
there too in the warm and beautiful land?
Are the issues present even in such a lovely and warm place?
Does the dew descend as pearls on Mount Hermon?
Does dew come down from the mountain and look like tiny pearls?
Does it come down and fall like tears?
Is the dew abundant and falls down like tears?
And how is the Jordan and its clear waters?
What is the state and appearance of the clear water in Jordan?
And how are the mountains, the hills?
What does the land's natural, towering features look like?
And my brothers that are working
Please tell of my siblings who labor in the fields.
And planting with tears will take
Despite the struggle, they will reap a bountiful harvest.
The harvest with Joy
The hard work will pay off with a blissful result.
My tears have dried up, all hope is fled
I have cried so much that my eyes are dry, and my spirits are low.
Yet there is no end to my grief,
Still, my sorrow goes beyond measure.
Greetings upon your return, my dear bird,
Welcome back to my window, little bird.
Raise up your voice and sing!
Please sing for me and cheer me up.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: AVISHAI COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind