Search - Greg Cohen :: Way Low

Nothing groundbreaking, but solid...

Allan MacInnis | Vancouver | 10/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Greg Cohen writes, in the liner notes for this disc, "this recording was the result of 2 years of heckling on the part of my friend John Zorn." Zorn acts as associate producer on this disc, distributed by Japanese jazz label DIW and the store with which they are associated, Disk Union -- the same people who put out Masada's stuff. It's probably never going to get domestic release, so don't wait around hoping it might. Cohen, the gentlemanly, quietly humorous bassist for Masada, is joined by Dave Douglas and several sidemen I don't know (Joel Hellany, Tony Denicola, Scott Robinson, and Ted Rosenthal, to name a few). They cover two Duke Ellington tracks, "Way Low" and "Creole Rhapsody," and also Bud Powell's "So Sorry, Please." The rest of the tunes are Cohen originals. It's pretty much in the tradition, nothing too too daring or dangerous happening, but the players love what they're doing and the music is definitely respectable (though nothing I spin very often, I must admit). If you're a serious Masada or Douglas enthusiast, it's worth your while; needless to say, Cohen fans should like it, too. The liner notes are by Cohen and the CD has an attractive gatefold design in the fashion of an LP cover, with a cool cover shot of Cohen. He kinda reminds me of David Strathairn, somehow..."