Eternal Child

AVISHAI COHEN

Released 29 May 2026

naive

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A deeply lyrical and rhythmically fluid jazz statement that balances virtuosity with emotional directness, where melodic clarity and improvisational freedom coexist in striking equilibrium.​

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Avishai Cohen has established himself as one of contemporary jazz’s most distinctive voices, first emerging as a prodigiously gifted bassist before developing into a composer and bandleader of considerable scope. His work sits at the intersection of modern jazz, Middle Eastern melodic traditions and global rhythmic influences, often prioritising lyricism and emotional accessibility without sacrificing harmonic sophistication or improvisational depth. Across a discography that spans trio formats, large ensemble writing and cross-cultural collaborations, Cohen has consistently explored the idea that jazz can be both technically advanced and immediately communicative. Eternal Child continues that trajectory, reflecting an artist still engaged with questions of melody, identity and musical storytelling.

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Eternal Child is a trio record with pianist Itay Simhovich and drummer Eviatar Slivnik, (with drummer Jeff Ballard appearing on several tracks). It is built around a central paradox that Avishai Cohen has long navigated - the tension between compositional maturity and a persistent sense of play. The title suggests a duality - between experience held in balance and instinct - and much of the album’s power comes from this ongoing negotiation. Musically, the album's focus is upon two ideas Cohen has always returned to: melody you can feel, and rhythm that moves.

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Across the record, Cohen’s bass work remains foundational but never purely supportive. Lines are melodic, often singing in counterpoint to piano and horns rather than simply anchoring harmonic movement. The ensemble writing is fluid, allowing themes to unfold gradually before dissolving into open improvisation. Even in its most structured passages, there is a sense of looseness, as if the music is always one step away from changing direction. The emotional palette is broad but carefully controlled. Ballads unfold with patient restraint, built from harmonic spaces that feel open-ended rather than resolved. Up-tempo sections, by contrast, carry a propulsive energy that never tips into excess, instead favouring rhythmic elasticity and conversational interplay. While the technical command on display is undeniable, it is consistently placed in service of expression rather than display. This gives the album its warmth: a sense that every note has been chosen not to impress, but to communicate.

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In the broader context of Cohen’s work, this album feels more like consolidation than reinvention - an artist refining his core language to its most direct and human form.

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