Avishai Cohen drew a full crowd to Ronnie Scott’s on Tuesday night (18 March) for the second night of his three-night residency. Cohen couldn’t have been more warmly received at Ronnie’s, and there was a very healthy buzz as fans packed the venue to see the trio perform music from their most recent album: Brightlight.
Those familiar with the Avishai Cohen Trio’s most recent studio album might have been quick to notice a change in lineup. Replacing Guy Moskovich on piano was Itay Simhovich: a newcomer to the band aged just 20… No, 21-years-old, for Cohen was quick to inform the audience that it was the pianist’s birthday, leading a short rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ in between performances. Youth aside, Cohen chooses his bandmates well and excels at championing young talent: Simhovich proved himself more than capable on Brightlight’s rollercoaster compositions.
And rollercoasters they are, chock full of twists and turns in tempo and rhythm. At times, I could have fallen off my barstool. Partly to thank for this incident would have been drummer Roni Kaspi: another young talent at 24, and whom Cohen met during the Covid lockdown. She has a spotlight on the album – “Roni’s Swing” – so titled, according to Cohen, because “she just took it and ran with it”. She did so here too, with a lengthy and very compelling drum solo.
As for Avishai Cohen, he plays the double bass. By this I mean he plays the double bass. He plays the hell out of that thing: running up and down the neck with virtuosic melodies, slapping the side for a bit of added percussion, and almost attacking it with the bow. It’s fantastic to see, and few bassists I’ve watched have been quite so entertaining.
Such entertainment passed relatively quickly though, with the one-set gig lasting a little over an hour. However, it wasn’t over before the trio performed an encore, consisting of a firm Cohen favourite – the hit ballad “Remembering” from 2005’s At Home – followed by another popular Brightlight single: a ska-inflected cover of “Summertime”, with Cohen himself providing vocals. “Feel free to dance,” he smiled, “I dare you.” No one did. Not for lack of enjoyment by any means, but perhaps simply out of consideration for their neighbour’s martini glass.
