2007-10-02
Bergen Newspaper Group By Miriam Allenson - Review
Bergen Newspaper Group, 111 Grand Avenue, Palisades Park, NJ 07650. (201) 947-5000 ph.
MUSIC REVIEW
Written by Miriam Allenson
Tuesday, 02 October 2007
Ryan Cohan: One Sky
Motéma
The last time a rabbi was quoted in liner a note was…well, I can’t remember when the last time was. If ever. But that’s what pianist and composer, Ryan Cohan has done in his most recent release, Ryan Cohan: One Sky. The rabbi in question is Abraham J. Heschel, German-born rabbi of impeccable lineage, a professor of Jewish Ethics and Mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. But Heschel saw his calling in social action and civil rights and made it his business to stand up and march with black civil rights leaders during the turbulent 60s. Heschel believed no religion holds dominion over any other. Which is what Cohan picks up on and writes about as the impetus for his work on this CD. “We are a world society under one sky,” he says, as he explains the personal challenge he faced when he wrote the music for One Sky. Except for one track—his personal rendering of Billy Strayhorn’s classic, “Lush Life,”—all the music is Cohan’s, including the tone poem, One Sky, for which this release is named.
Cohan’s work is exceptional, in the writing and the performing. An excellent keyboardist—his sound is reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s—Cohan plays with controlled abandon. He is something of a chameleon, adapting with ease to the flavor of each piece, whether it’s the driving but cool “Double Agent,” or the quirky “Easy For You To Say.” For his tone poem, “Open Sky”, Cohan chose to work it as straight ahead, traditional jazz, with overtones and rhythms taken from many musical streams, his musical expression of Heschel’s philosophical world view.
On Ryan Cohan: Open Sky, the talented ensemble includes Bob Sheppard, sax and flute, James Cammack, double bass, Tito Carrillo, trumpet, drummer Kobie Watkins, and bassist, Lorin Cohen. Don’t go looking for this release just yet. It’s not in stores until October 16. But if you want a little taste of Cohan’s style, and can’t wait, you can always visit his website, www.ryancohan.com.
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