Avishai Cohen Bio

Originally from Tel Aviv, Israel, trumpeter Avishai Cohen started playing trumpet at the age of 8 and began performing at the age of 10 with the Rimon College Big Band. He continued his study at the Tel Aviv Jaffa Conservatory and soon afterwards began touring the world with the with the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Zubin Mehta and Kent Nagano. Avishai became the trumpet player of choice for all leading jazz, rock, pop studio and television projects, recording with Israeli artists such as Gidi Gov, Shalom Chanoch, Arik Einstein, Asaf Amdurski and Eviatar Banai.

He received a full scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston,
and was given the Clark Terry Award. In 1997, He placed third in the prestigious Thelonius Monk Jazz Trumpet Competition.
and was awarded second place in the Carmine Caruso Jazz Trumpet Competition.
Avishai has performed with artists such as Dave Liebman, James Moody, Arnie Lawrence, John Hendrix, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy Heath, George Garzone, Clark Terry, Ira Sullivan, Donald Harrison, Bobby Watson, Jason Lindner, Omer Avital, Jeff Ballard, Roy Hargrove and many more.
Avishai has been performing with the New York based avant-funk band Lemon Juice Quartet since 1997. Lemon Juice Quartet has performed around the world and has released their third album, "Peasant Songs: The Music of Satie & Bartok" on Piadrum Records (2002), following the album "republic", and "Visitor - Live".

He has recently released his first album "The Trumpet Player" with Jeff Ballard, John Sullivan and Joel Frahm on the Fresh Sound New Talent label. The record was recently chosen by Ben Ratliff of the New York Times as one of the records of the Sunday Times Playlist. Avishai has also recently recorded a second album with the acclaimed band Third World Love (with co-leaders Omer Avital, Daniel Freedman, and Yonatan Avishai) on the Fresh Sound World Music Label. This album follows their successful first CD "Third World Love Songs".


Avishai Cohen Press Clippings

" What a pleasure to hear an emerging musician put out a record with the real spirit of what I consider jazz to be. That is the spontaneous, risk taking attitude which a listener should feel immediately and is a trademark of the masters of jazz. Real playing in real time." -DAVE LIEBMAN, SAXOPHONIST

" Avishai Cohen's album the Trumpet Player...is s thrown gauntlet... he's go some of the confident tone and rhythm of Clifford Brown under his fingers, and plays battling, hard-hitting figures and intervals." -BEN RATLIFF, SUNDAY NEW YORK TIMES10/03

melodic imagination and a powerful drive. He writes impressively, too... Cohen has done himself no favors by making such an outstanding album for his own name debut: he'll need to bust a gut to better it." -BARRY WITHERDEN, JAZZ REVIEW11/03

" Israeli-born trumpeter Avishai Cohen is now an emerging local horn hero and this is his great new strong debut disc." -DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY11/03

" In his debut album, Cohen shows maturity and self-confidence... this album is courageous and impressive." -BEN SHALEV, HA' ARETZ11/03