Double Bass Riffs

Here's my pick of Avishai Cohen riffs. I'll admit that Avishai plays most of the songs that I blast in my car. I suppose it's catchier than the average jazz song but I love it anyway. One thing to note, most of the odd percussive sounds that you hear are done by Avishai on his bass. On Gershon Beat the percussive sounds are almost as much of a part of the riff as the notes. But beyond the bass, Gershon Beat has a wonderful flutist, something I rarely hear in jazz. Before ever listening to Yusef Lateef this was my favorite flute jazz song. It has a great Arabic vibe to it and he can hit both the percussive sounds or a long series of undulating notes. Smash on the other hand has such an aggressiveness to it. The drummer Mark Guiliana always sticks out to me, especially on the Avishai Cohen Trio albums. He has a decently harder style; on one recording (not here) he displayed an unusual integration of metal's double pedaling of the bass drum. Actually, as an aside, that technique did originate in jazz with Louie Bellson. That Arabic stringed sound in Smash is an Oud, a frettless lute-like instrument.

And I'll throw in II B.S. off of Charles Mingus' Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus album. It's a variation of the his Haitian Fight Song, but I find this version to have a much more lively appeal.

Now you can respond with some real bass music when an SUV rumbling to hip hop drives up next to you.

Gershon Beat (At Home)


Smash (Continuo)


II B.S.