Winter 2008

It's been some time since my last entry and with spring approaching I thought it fitting that I put some things "on paper" before the last gasp of winter.

While I am by no means gracing the covers of any major music publications, I am happy to report that 2008 has started off where '07 left off; with a flurry of work. Club gigs, concerts, some nice session work, and an upcoming tour, all have served to keep me satisfied and filled with anticipation for what lies ahead.

My group, the Adam Cohen Band, received a wonderful review in the L.A. Jazz Scene for its performance at La Ve Lee (a local jazz venue). It was extremely gratifying to see everyone in the band spoken of so highly. Not that I needed the confirmation, but it simply reaffirmed what I already knew; I've got a terrific group of musicians playing with me!

In March I will be traveling to Indonesia for a jazz festival there. In addition to  my performances with the Buddy Childers Big Band (under the direction of Ron King) will be a couple of quartet dates and a show with vocalist Renee Olstead. I look forward to visiting what, for me, is a new place. When I was touring with Engelbert, we had Indonesia on the schedule but it was cancelled due to what was, at that time, a security concern. Nevertheless, I will not be drinking the water. Can you brush your teeth with Scotch?

On that note, I will make this brief and say so long. Stay tuned for reports from the road as I once again make my way through Asia!

Your friendly neighborhood bassist,
Adam

Fall 2007

I'll resist the urge to open up with a line from "Autumn Leaves" and just say hello and trust a good summer was had by all. It certainly was the case for me as an enjoyable European tour was followed by a busy schedule of concerts, club work, and a few extremely satisfying recording sessions.

August saw the release of Christina Linhardt's new album "Voodoo Princess". I played electric bass throughout and enjoyed finding the answers to musical questions posed by a rather electic mix of material. It was produced by my friend, saxophonist Dr. Bruce Eskovitz. For more information visit: www.voodooprincessmusic.com

Speaking of Bruce, I was happy to play on his just completed forthcoming album of the Bruce Eskovitz Jazz Orchestra entitled "Invitation". I played both acoustic & electric bass and have a couple of solos on there that I felt pretty good about. One was on the Freddie Hubbard classic "Red Clay" which was sort of a stop-time section where I had eight-bar phrases by myself in between the band hits. It was a creative challenge to keep the time moving and yet maintain some harmonic interest as well. I think I partially succeeded. The other was on a very slow swing number by Bruce reminiscent of the old Basie tunes that had that wonderful laid-back groove. It had some nice meaty changes to dig in to and I did my best to keep things firmly in the pocket. Look for a December release. (Label and points of purchase TBA).

Also finished are three tracks for Bill Fulton's new album which had the wonderful Gary Novak on drums. Gary has played with, among many others, Chick Corea (he was in the second edition of the Elektric Band) and the late Bob Berg. It was some very challenging music made relatively easy by Gary's terrific feel and sharply tuned musical instincts. A memorable session indeed.

Upcoming is the October 18th performance at La Ve Lee of my group, The Adam Cohen Band. I'm very excited and have already begun sketching out some new material and choosing what to play from my book. I've got a great lineup - Rob Hardt/sax, Bill Fulton/keys, and Dave Derge/drums - and can't wait to begin rehearsals early next month.

On the home front, Beth & Iare taking a brief 4-day trip to Boston with our daughter Natalia. It will be her first plane ride! Drinks all around though I expect it to be a smoother experience than my nightmarish imaginations would suggest. Natalia is simply delightful (see photo) and brings more joy, surprises, and discoveries into our home with each passing day.
     

Finally, I am feeling particularly blessed by the presence & good health of my Dad, who continues to be the paradigm for everything I aspire to be as a man and as a father, and my beautiful and talented companion Beth who is the best mother, lover, and friend I could ever wish for.

That's it for now music fans. Until next time...

--Adam

Dublin 2007: Two & Out

7/28/07: The conclusion of an extended tour always brings a moment for reflection. There is also the bittersweet feeling of something fun coming to an end coupled with the anticipation of returning home to family & friends.

I have travelled to seven different countries, played in 10 or 11 different venues - large and small, gotten to know a little about other parts of the world, and it all seems to have happened so quickly.

I have come to realize that many of the problems we face as Americans - both as individuals and as a country - are not unique, and we can derive some sense of community with the rest of the world from the notion that in our struggles we are not alone. Parents chase after their little children, communities struggle to recover in the wake of natural disasters, and families try to hold it all together in a modern, increasingly fast-paced, and often tense global environment rife with distrust. In the midst of all that, a stranger holds open a door for you, a playful child laughs, and a woman checker at the supermarket wearing the garb of those who we’re conditioned to fear smiles and offers a friendly greeting. Perhaps underneath all the political posturing and chest-pounding of a relative few there is the desire of most people to just get on with life and be happy.  

With those uplifting thoughts swirling in my mind, I head down to the lobby and off to our final performance; “The Midlands Music Festival” in Ireland. It’s an outdoor affair with many acts participating (Kris Kristofferson, Aimee Mann, and Ricky Scaggs among them) and should prove to be a fine - if wet & muddy - way to close out our European tour.

Until next time...

Your friendly neighborhood bassist,
--Adam

The Long and Winding Road: Oslo to London

7/24/07: I've got a cold. It's the one thing I was determined not to have happen to me on this tour; three weeks of planes, damp climates, and lots of second-hand smoke and dammit I was not going to get sick! I blame it on Oslo. Not the city, but rather my stupidity for not listening to my body when I felt rundown after our show there. Instead of returning to my room and preparing for an early flight to London by getting some rest, I joined my bandmates for a few beers at the bar next door. Now, these aren't Budweisers, these are European beers engineered to help you forget you're freezing your ass off 10 months out of the year. I woke up feeling horrible and angry at myself for not being sensible.

If that were the end of it, that would be fine. Instead I had to endure an hour flight delay, a half hour stuck on the tarmac upon our arrival, and three hours being detained by the UK immigration officials. Why? Because when I presented them with my passport they asked me what my reason for visiting the UK was. I answered that it was work-related to which they responded by asking to see my work permit. I didn't have one. No one did. But they all got through and - I suppose by the luck of the draw - I was the shlemiel who got flagged. Anyway, 3 hours and multiple phone calls later, I was on my way out of Heathrow and on to the hotel.

It's a beautiful hotel called The Mayfair right in the heart of London's theater district. We had a great show - maybe our best - last night at The Pigalle Club (a very upscale  night club a few blocks from the hotel). It was packed to the rafters and I mean that literally because it had two levels with a balcony level overlooking the stage. It made for an exciting evening filled with a palpable energy from both the audience & the band.

On a personal level it was the first gig where I had a bass that was truly a fine instrument both in sound & playability. It was a German flatback built in the 1920's and just sounded like maple syrup. I secretly wished I could take it home. I generally haven't complained thus far about the instruments they've rented for me (it's a pointless exercise and why be a source of discomfort to people who have a hundred other things to worry about?) as they have little control as to what is sent from the backline companies. Besides, Steve and Simon (our tour managers), are two lovely British chaps who I've come to like a great deal. Nevertheless, I was so overjoyed by being able to do the gig on a professional quality instrument that I had to share my euphoria with them and subsequently allude to a clunker or two from past shows. I left it that and proceeded to have my best performance of the tour. I think Anjani felt it too as she flashed me a smile during the show suggesting that I was perhaps a key ingredient in helping to lift the proceedings a bit. Naturally, I am part of a group and I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the incredibly musical contributions of my bandmates (Bryan Brock, Steve Gregory, Mark McMillen, and Dominique Plaisant). We all helped frame Anjani's beautiful voice and compositions perfectly.

Well, my nose is running and it's time for another Alka Seltzer. I've got two whole days off in London to recuperate. Beth wants me to get out and see the city. Perhaps a bit of London air will do me some good. That, and some self-indulgent lazing around my hotel room with my book, my computer, and thoughts of home & family.

Until next time...

Your friendly neighborhood bassist,
--Adam

Holland/Belgium/Denmark - 2007

7/18/07: Greetings from Copenhagen! We just checked in to our hotel; an older place that looks like it’s been around for a long time but has been updated with 21st century amenities. Quite lovely with a white & gold exterior and interior that suggests a time way before the industrial age. My room is comfortable with a nice view of the streets below and a huge domed structure at eye level. Our ride from the airport to the hotel gave me a good idea of the beauty and history of this seemingly wonderful city. I am excited to take it in...

...after my nap.

Now, about the last few days.

We had a good show at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Holland. In addition to the impressive array of artists that were on the schedule, equally impressive was how incredibly organized the whole event was. It was held on the site of a huge convention center where venues ranging from small and intimate, to larger theaters and auditoriums, were set up according to the style and popularity of the performers. Among the artists I was able to see were Marcus Miller, Randy Brecker (with an all-star band), and Dave Holland. Unfortunately, due to the stifling heat & humidity (the was no A/C!), I could only tolerate about an hour or so before I left. So, it was about 20 minutes of this guy and 20 minutes of that guy and so on. Words could not accurately describe how impressive the infrastructure of the whole thing was. From kiosks with computers where you could see where an artist was performing and get biographical information, to a whole mini-mall of music related merchants, to a booth where interviews were being conducted and broadcast over the flat-screen TVs that dotted the landscape...it was really something to take in.

As for our show, it went well. A packed house of about 60 or 70 people listened intently and reacted enthusiastically to the band. It was a nice feeling, especially with the likes of Mike Stern and Wynton Marsalis playing nearby. Anjani seemed pleased and I think everyone went away feeling pretty good about things.

After that, it was a day off and then off to Gent in Belgium for the Blue Note Music Festival where we were opening up for Elvis Costello (apparently a big fan of Anjani). Gent was quite an experience in that we were right in the middle of a yearly 10 day event known as the Festival of Gent. It’s sort of their Mardi Gras. I have never witnessed such mass drinking, by so many people, for so long, in my life! It doesn’t get dark till around 10:30pm there this time of year and it gets light around 5:30am. I walked outside around 6:30am and people were still at it. I heard sounds from my hotel room window that were, as one band member described it, “medieval” in nature. I won’t go into detail as to what the streets looked like but at around 7pm a street sweeper truck was making the rounds. This goes on for 10 days. People were staggering in the middle of the street at a time when most of the rest of the world is opening for business. Amazing.

The Blue Note gig went, for me, exceedingly well as I had the pleasure of playing a good bass - the best so far - that had a nice singing tone and playable action. The result was that I felt free to be a bit more expressive within the music. Though I play a German style bow, all the bows thus far have been French. Not a problem as I only bow on a couple of tunes and I have enough experience with the French to pull it off. For those of you who don’t know the German bow has a larger end where the hand is placed and is held with sort of a side-ways/underhanded grip, while the French is held much in the same way a violin bow is held.

 Tomorrow is a club date here in Copenhagen which I am excited about as it will return us to a more intimate setting. I also feel that having just one day off between gigs will give us a chance to keep our musical engine warm and running smoothly.
That’s it for now!

Until next time...

Your friendly neighborhood bassist,
--Adam

Paris 2007: Part 2 - Opening Night and Beyond

7/14/07: Hello from Rotterdam in The Netherlands (or Holland, take your pick). I’m gazing out my hotel room window which overlooks the main drag here and further on down to the waterway which is crested by a white, very modern-looking, suspension bridge.

<Sidebar: Okay, now I know I’m definitely not in the US anymore; I hear accordian music wafting up from the street.>

I have a backlog of events to relate and I will do my best to remember...

Naturally, our first show is at the top of my list. Things unfolded rather grimly that afternoon at soundcheck as our percussionist, whose equipment was lost in transit from London to Paris, was having to make do with a bass drum, snare drum and other assorted odds & ends that were quite foriegn to his accustomed setup. Bryan plays aninstrument called a djembe (hope I spelled that correctly) which is a rectangular box that emanates a variety of tones, textures, and sounds. You actually sit on the instrument itself and, depending upon the desired effect, can be played with either hands, sticks, or brushes. I think it’s fair to say that it’s the core of Bryan’s whole percussion rig and an important element in the band’s sound. Like a true professional, he carried on and we all waited for some kind of lucky break. That lucky break came about two hours later in the form of what looked like a quality djembe that was procured by our crack road management team. Smiles all around and the soundcheck wrapped up on a positive note.

Everyone scattered for dinner; I walked across the street to a little grill joint while the rest of the gang ventured elsewhere. I had a delicious sandwich with grilled marinated chicken on a toasted roll and french fries (though there they call them American fries strangely enough...just kidding).

So, how was our first show? It was an unequivocal success! Two encores and calls for a third. I was very happy with the bass I had (we’re taking the rental route since shlepping my double bass across oceans and continents wasn’t an option) and felt like the band really rallied and took the music up anotch. Afterward, people clamored around the entrance to our dressing room and, as I frequently had to do on the Engelbert tour, politely mentioned that I was too tired for autographs and would they mind settling for Anajani or Leonard Cohen.

Back at the hotel, smiles all around and the energizing feeling of things getting off to a good start.

Got into Amsterdam - where we’re playing the North Sea Jazz Festival - yesterday afternoon after a short flight from Paris. This time they forgot our guitarist’s pedal board. Good thing we didn’t have a show until Sunday so aside from some understandable annoyance cool heads prevailed.

We checked into our hotel and when I headed up to my room I found myself sharing an elevator ride with none other than Joe Zawinul! To those of you who may not know, Joe Zawinul is a legendary composer and keyboardist who got his first big break as pianist with Cannonball Adderly, co-founded the band Weather Report, and has written several tunes that have become staples in the jazz lexicon; “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Birdland” among them. Not a bad way to start my stay here!

So, with the dulcet tones of streetcars, seagulls, and the accordian, I head off to my book and syndicated American TV.

Until next time...

Your friendly neighborhood bassist,
--Adam

Paris 2007: Part 1 - Back In The Saddle

7/11/07: Well, to those of you who have sustained an interest in my journal over the last year or so - a less than prolific time for it - I wish to announce that I’m back on tour and anxious to share my musical and personal journeys once again. Welcome readers new & old!

I’m sitting up in bed in my hotel room in Paris watching CNN International (the only English-speaking station I could find) and jotting down the kind of thoughts that could only reveal themselves at 3:30am. No, I have not been up all night. Rather, I powered through a 9-hour flight from L.A. to London, a two-hour layover at Heathrow, a one-hour flight from London to Paris, dinner with band & management (more on that later) and finally retreated to my room where I slept deeply from 10pm till about 1:30am. I know, 3 1/2 hours is nothing to crow about but it was deep satisfying sleep unimpeded by cramped seats, inrusive public announcements, and gaseous passengers. I am hoping after some writing here and a bit of reading that I can get a few more hours under my belt before breakfast.

To set the table; I am on a three week tour of Europe with the artist Anjani. Anjani, a native of Hawaii, is a talented singer/songwriter (think Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, etc.) who plays piano and composes rather lovely, intimate pieces laden with imagery and personal emotions. The arrangements - though rich in melody & harmony - are quite sparse and present a somewhat unexpected challenge for me as a bassist. That is, where are broad brush strokes called for and where do I shade things a bit lighter? In this music, the line has proven to be quite narrow between finding that place and missiing the mark. Additionally, I am tackling some backgound vocal parts which is exciting & fun but also, admitttedly, not one of my strongest skills. I am hoping (as I’m sure my bandmates are) that with continued experience my singing will improve.

Dinner earlier today (now yesterday) revolved around the kind of service that my beautiful Beth would have typically described as “disgusting”.  At least the food was great (oh wait, I’m chomping on Tums like candy here!). Nevertheless, the company was great and it felt good to take a short stroll through the area and get the “airplane film” off of me.

Tomorrow is our first show. We’re playing at the premier jazz club here called New Morning.
Needless to say, I’m very excited and anxious to get that first gig under my belt. We’ve got Mark McMillen on keyboards, Steve Gregory on guitar (an old friend who ten years ago recommended me for the Ray Charles auditions), and Brian Brock on percussion. They’re fine musicians and, as I’m finding out, great cats to hang out with. A sure recipe for success.

Until next time music fans...

Your friendly neighborhood bassist,
--Adam