Interview, Avishai Cohen on writing for orchestra and returning to old tunes

Photo: Bernard Rie

Avishai Cohen is a musician that knows how to follow his gut. From his contemporary post-bop trio work, to vocal-led albums like 1970, to now writing for orchestra, he’s enjoyed a long streak of continued success pooling influences from his native Israel, as well as an early love of jazz fusion and contemporary music. For his latest project Two Roses, the bassist enlisted Alexander Hanson and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, marking his first collaboration with a full orchestra. That’s not to say that the esteemed bass player has abandoned his tried-and-true trio format, as he’s spending the latter half of 2021 and early 2022 on the road with his new bandmates Elchin Shirinov and Roni Kaspi. Ahead of his trio’s performance at the Barbican Centre as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, we spoke with Avishai about his work on Two Roses, the return of live music, and bringing back fan-favourite tunes.

What was the impetus for Two Roses? Have you wanted to write a work for orchestra like this for some time?

For many years I had thought of writing some of my existing music - and new compositions - for a full orchestra. It seemed like a fantasy for a while, but at a certain point it felt like the right time to do so, so I decided to contact some good orchestrators and begin the journey. I dove into the assignment, getting deeper and deeper into it, and within a few years this incredible body of work was ready to be performed and recorded.

Naturally writing for orchestra is quite different than writing for a jazz ensemble, particularly your usual trio. How did this affect your writing process?

Indeed, it's completely different. I often think about orchestral music while writing, and I think that a lot of my music shares some similarities and connections with classical music. It took some years to assemble - getting the right arrangers and orchestrators for my music, and I had to be involved in a way that also gave the writers their own freedom to arrange it. I had already worked with [record producer] Lars Nilsson for 15 years in Gothenburg, so that’s where it had to happen - and what an amazing experience! It has always been a dream of mine to do this; it’s such an empowering sound hearing the full orchestra.

Was it a deliberate choice to work with Alexander Hanson and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra specifically?

A couple of years ago I was going to present a live project called ‘An Evening with Avishai Cohen’ in Brussels and Gent together with the Brussels Philharmonic. They actually suggested I do the show with Alexander, and I must say it was a joy to work with him. We’ve continued to tour together since then, performing over 30 shows with 25-plus orchestras; the more time we spent together, the more our understanding grew and became more clear. The arrangements started to make sense in Alex’s hands, and I love to see him moving to my music - he dances along the whole concert. I already knew the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra had a good reputation and great musicians, so for me it was obvious to work with them on recording this album, alongside with my good friend Lars Nilsson who mastered and co-produced many of my albums.

Do you see yourself wanting to work with an orchestra again?

First I will continue to tour with Two Roses, and we have plans to tour with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in 2023, so for sure I will continue to perform with orchestras and probably extend the programme again with new compositions. There is much to do - and it will be done - with this world of music, this collaborative project.

Photo: Gülcan Acar

You’ve got a set at the EFG London Jazz Festival this year - have you had to adjust much to playing live again?

I missed being on stage, seeing my fans, touring with my fellow musicians... it feels great now being back, receiving good vibes from the audiences all over. We have been busy and continually out there since March this year, so we feel very lucky in that regard. It’s always a very good experience to perform in London, it's one of my favourite places to play. The fans are great, and my manager of 20 years is English, so I’ve always had a strong bond to the English way of living; their vibe and energy.

You’re also playing some old favourites during this set, with some tunes like ‘Emotional Storm’ going back to the mid-2000s... what is it about these old tunes that have stuck with you?

I will be presenting a bunch of new music at the festival with my trio, but as always there’ll be some older titles of mine that have become well known to my fans. I always find a new way of presenting music from my past and reinventing the moment - it’s sometimes a surprise to us on stage as well, how they come out! From time to time I dive into the older stuff and pick it up again - I guess all my music has and will at some point be rediscovered by me and many others. It’s a real blessing that these songs have endured longer than I imagined, as I’ve changed and developed in new bands and groups with different line-ups. Other musicians have come to me with ideas and asked if we could explore older tunes; it’s very inspiring to me.

Now that live music is back, the next 12 months must look quite different for you than they did last year... Do you have any special plans for 2022?

A lot of tour dates have been rescheduled to the end of this year and 2022, so many shows are in the diary now. I am looking forward to a great touring year, and this summer I recorded a new album with my trio , Elchin Shirinov (piano) and Roni Kaspi (drums), which is due out in May 2022, so I think I will have a busy year ahead!

Avishai's latest album Two Roses with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is available now...

Browse all Avishai Cohen releases here...