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| Steve Cohn solo piano flight "Anspruchsvoll", Unseen Rain Records  Unseen Rain Records presents a rare, intimate view into the expansive musical world of pianist and composer Steve Cohn. Anspruchsvoll is Cohn's first solo piano release, marking a new path in his lengthy catalog of 25 ensemble albums over 32 years. This new album, his seventh for the Unseen Rain label, stands out in the long line of solo piano recordings within the new jazz sphere. Like most who seek to explore the full breadth of their instrument one-on-one, Cohn has many moods and deep explorations to offer on his latest CD. Enter a soundscape of 24 tracks of moving free improvisation, contemporary composition and even a stirring cover of Cole Porter's "Night and Day". Cohn brings the listener along for this sonic ride through time and place…Extensive travel as a performer, teacher and visual artist, with long hours in transport and a whirlwind swath of faces, voices, culture and language, offered the inspiration necessary to produce such a personal work. The album's title? It means "demanding" and Cohn overheard it being grumbled by an airline stewardess complaining about the passengers on an international flight. But the title may also describe the acoustic world of the solitary pianist's innovative flight. On it, he demands as much from his audience as he does himself. Steve Cohn has embarked on a startlingly creative career as a jazz and world music artist. During studies at UCLA in the 1970s he was exposed to an ethnomusicological awareness and began exploring the shakuhachi, the native Japanese flute. He took tutelage in Japan where he resided for two years, immersing himself in the culture. Back in the States, Cohn continued studies of classical piano and 20th century music while performing jazz by night with Sonny Simmons and Eddie Henderson. In 1981 he moved to NYC and became a central part of the downtown scene, performing in major venues and festivals, including Newport Jazz. Over the decades, Cohn has traveled across the nation, Europe and the Far East, performing and recording as a leader or side-man with a wealth of artists including Reggie Workman, Oliver Lake, Jason Hwang, Fred Hopkins, Karl Berger, Barry Altschul and William Parker, to name a few. Cohn's spectrum of improvisation, generally shared on the global stage, has just become an intimate vehicle, a visceral voice, direct to the listener. It's all Cohn. Welcome to his world(s). "There are few American pianists who have Cohn's talents"-Downbeat "Cohn's playing is hypnotic and remarkable. He is a true original." -Cadence write your comments about the article :: © 2015 Jazz News :: home page |