Avishai Cohen to Premiere Album of Leonard Cohen Poem Settings

Bassist, singer, and composer Avishai Cohen will premiere his new work, "Unbiblical," on January 13, 2027, at the Tel Aviv Cultural Center. The album features music composed by Avishai Cohen for poems from the final book, "The Flame," by the late poet Leonard Cohen. The premiere's organizers stated that "Unbiblical" merges the profound poetry of Leonard Cohen, who died in 2016 and had a close connection to Israel, with Avishai Cohen's contemporary musical language. This project connects the Jewish state with the influential 20th-century musician through jazz with Israeli influences.

The 14 songs for the album were recorded in Paris after receiving approval from Leonard Cohen's family and estate. Following the Tel Aviv premiere, Avishai Cohen plans an international tour of his Leonard Cohen interpretations. Before embarking on the tour, he will present older material with his ensemble in Europe, including performances in Germany on November 3 at the Leverkusener Jazztage and December 10 in Ludwigshafen. Additional concerts are scheduled in Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and France.

Avishai Cohen, born in 1970 in Kibbutz Kabri, Israel, grew up in Beit Zayit before his family moved to the United States. He began playing piano at age nine and switched to bass at 14. After returning to Israel, he studied bass at the Academy of Music and Art in Jerusalem. He moved back to the U.S. at 22, working construction in New York while gaining recognition in the jazz world with pianist Danilo Pérez. His debut solo album, "Adama," was released in 1998.