AARON GOLDBERG & EMMET COHEN PIANO DUET
Aaron Goldberg
Hailed by DownBeat magazine for his "quick-witted harmonic reflexes, fluid command of line and cut-to-the-chase sense of narrative logic", Aaron Goldberg has made his name as one of jazz's most compelling pianists, both as a bandleader and frequent collaborator with Joshua Redman, Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Guillermo Klein and many more. On his new release The Now, Goldberg reunites with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, the virtuoso rhythm team going all the way back to his 1998 debut Turning Point. On their fifth outing together, the trio foregrounds a central truth about the art of playing jazz: No two performances will be the same, because the music is created, in Goldberg's words, "in the dynamic plane of the present". ...
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AARON GOLDBERG & EMMET COHEN PIANO DUET
Aaron Goldberg
Hailed by DownBeat magazine for his "quick-witted harmonic reflexes, fluid command of line and cut-to-the-chase sense of narrative logic", Aaron Goldberg has made his name as one of jazz's most compelling pianists, both as a bandleader and frequent collaborator with Joshua Redman, Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Guillermo Klein and many more. On his new release The Now, Goldberg reunites with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, the virtuoso rhythm team going all the way back to his 1998 debut Turning Point. On their fifth outing together, the trio foregrounds a central truth about the art of playing jazz: No two performances will be the same, because the music is created, in Goldberg's words, "in the dynamic plane of the present".
"A jazz record is literally one moment in time," Goldberg explains. "Each song captures those five minutes, and not more. This is especially counterintuitive when you think about iconic jazz recordings like Kind of Blue, where we can all sing every solo. That record would sound totally different, we'd all be singing different solos, if it'd been recorded five minutes later or even five seconds later. That aspect of jazz is what makes it magical for me. I think every time you make an album you contribute to this illusion that jazz operates like other forms of music, where you figure out the song, you practice it, you play it a million times, then you record the definitive version. Jazz doesn't work like that, and I felt it was time to explicitly wrestle with this in some thematic way."
Aaron's Site »
Emmet Cohen
Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen has emerged as one of his generation's pivotal figures in music and the related arts. A recognized prodigy, Cohen began Suzuki method piano instruction at age three, and his playing quickly became a mature melding of musicality, technique, and concept. DownBeat observed that his "nimble touch, measured stride and warm harmonic vocabulary indicate he's above any convoluted technical showmanship." In the same spirit, Cohen himself has noted that playing jazz is "about communicating the deepest level of humanity and individuality; it's essentially about connections", both among musicians and with audiences. Possessing a fluid technique, an innovative tonal palette, and an expansive repertoire, Cohen plays with the command of a seasoned veteran and the passion of an artist fully devoted to his medium.
In addition, Emmet Cohen has established a comprehensive role in the world of the creative arts that extends beyond performing. He is avid about the inter-generational transfer of artistic knowledge, history, and traditions. Himself an alumnus of the YoungArts Foundation, he now produces and directs multidisciplinary high school YoungArts programs nationally that employ creative writing, theater, dance, visual arts, cinematography, music, voice, and jazz. Through designing student curricula and selecting master artists as teachers and mentors, Cohen is in his element, connecting effectively with multi-generational performers and audiences.
Cohen visits 50 schools yearly through Jazz at Lincoln Center's "Jazz for Young People" program and regularly presents jazz history and performance lectures. To honor the pioneers of America's unique musical idiom, Cohen is producing the "Masters Legacy Series," a celebratory set of recordings and interviews honoring legendary jazz musicians--he is the pianist on the first recording of the series, featuring Miles Davis drummer Jimmy Cobb. Additionally, Cohen has been involved with interdisciplinary programs directed by choreographers Debbie Allen and Bill T. Jones.
Emmet's Site »
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