Avishai Cohen, Ashes to Gold Review
by Stamish Malcuss
Avishai Cohen’s latest ECM release, Ashes to Gold, offers music that reflects on the turbulence of our times. Cohen, known for his soaring trumpet lines and evocative compositions, delivers a five-part suite that encapsulates emotions ranging from rage and despair to faint glimmers of hope. Written under the duress of wartime in his homeland, the album chronicles the political and personal crises Cohen faced as well as his unyielding determination to find beauty amid chaos.
Cohen’s reputation as a trumpeter and composer has earned him accolades across the jazz world, including his Rising Star-Trumpet status in the DownBeat Critics Poll. With Ashes to Gold, Cohen transcends his past projects by delving deeper into his sound world with trusted collaborators: Yonathan Avishai on piano, Barak Mori on double bass, and Ziv Ravitz on drums. This ensemble, long attuned to Cohen’s vision, elevates the suite’s emotional narrative, capturing the intimate exchanges and powerful swells that define the album.
The title Ashes to Gold draws from the Japanese art of kintsugi, which mends broken pottery with gold, making something new from shattered pieces. For Cohen, this metaphor speaks directly to our fractured reality, where something beautiful can be born out of destruction. This philosophy underpins the album, with its music offering a glimmer of hope in even the darkest of moments.
The suite opens with “Part I,” featuring Cohen on flute, a surprising and serene beginning to what will soon unravel into a tumultuous journey. The gentle pastoral atmosphere quickly dissipates as Cohen switches to trumpet, piercing through with tones that range from sorrowful to furious. Here, Yonathan Avishai’s dark, rumbling piano chords set a heavy foundation, against which Cohen’s trumpet soars, invoking both reflection and unrest. This tension ebbs and flows throughout the suite, mirroring the real-life chaos Cohen faced while composing.
By the time we reach “Part III,” the narrative becomes more personal. Written in a studio in Romania just days before a performance, this section finds Cohen exploring tender, lyrical lines over meditative bass and piano. The juxtaposition of these elements creates a haunting beauty, as though the music is both mourning and yearning for something more. Cohen’s pedal work adds a further dimension to his trumpet, giving it an eerie, almost otherworldly quality that deepens the emotional impact.
“Part IV” continues the meditative theme, with Avishai’s rolling arpeggios providing a somber backdrop to Cohen’s expressive trumpet. The piece speaks directly to the heart, with Cohen’s playing suggesting a mournful reflection on lives lost and the ongoing tragedy in his homeland. This sense of contemplation persists into “Part V,” which features one of the most powerful moments on the album. As Cohen stretches the range of his horn to its emotional and technical limits, the music reaches a fevered intensity, demanding the listener’s full attention. The suite closes not with a resolution but with a lingering sense of solemnity—a quiet acknowledgment of the ongoing struggle.
Cohen then transitions to the “Adagio assai” from Maurice Ravel’s G Major piano concerto, a piece with a strong resonance for the trumpeter. The quartet has frequently performed this piece in concert, and its inclusion here feels natural. The Adagio’s transcultural influences echo Cohen’s own musical journey, blending classical and jazz traditions with poignant grace. Yonathan Avishai’s piano work here is particularly stirring, guiding the piece with elegance, while Cohen’s trumpet provides a melancholic counterpoint.
The final track, “The Seventh,” offers a welcome respite from the weight of the preceding suite. Composed by Cohen’s daughter Amalia, this simple yet enchanting melody serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of love and hope. Ravitz and Mori lay down a steady groove, allowing Cohen and Avishai to float above, embellishing the melody in ways that suggest reflection and cautious optimism. It’s a fitting close to the album, leaving listeners with a sense of quiet resolve.
Ashes to Gold represents Cohen’s most unique album to date. Unlike his previous ECM efforts, where improvisation played a central role, this time, Cohen labored over every note and rhythmic pulse. The result is an album shaped by the raw emotions of war but also hopeful—a reminder that, like kintsugi, beauty can emerge from brokenness. Cohen gives voice to the unspeakable through his music, offering a musical meditation that transcends the boundaries of jazz, classical, and cultural divides.
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