"Heavy Water: Prologue" is unaccompanied trumpet, where Cohen makes poignant fragments, bending a few notes and elongating a few others for maximum effect. Serving as the lead-in to the longer and gradually unfolding "Heavy Water," it prepares that major piece nicely, by introducing the chordal root and setting up the modal center.
"Nature's Dance" is the catchiest tune in a collection of tunes not really trying to be catchy. Its circular riff is playful and mutates over time, keeping the listener engaged in it. As is found elsewhere on the album, the conversation among the three here is personally engaging and lies at the heart of the record's appeal.
The dry, barren but unspoiled landscape of the CD cover is the perfect metaphor the describe this music, not a flood. Perhaps that was the intent of the artist — to paint an aural scenery where a flood is hoped for or anticipated. No matter; if Flood doesn't connect in the way Avishai Cohen intended, it's bound to connect in some positive way to most anyone who listens to it.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Avishai Cohen, bassist . . . Avishai Cohen, trumpet player: not the same dude. No wonder I was so confused when I picked up an album somewhere and saw him credited with only trumpet. At the time I thought, "Wow, talented dude - bass and trumpet, so much so that he focuses only on one or the other on some releases."
The Wikipedia page for Avishai, the bassist, says "not to be confused with the Israeli New York City-based jazz trumpet player of the same name." No, actually, he IS to be confused with the Israeli New York City-based jazz trumpet player of the same name. Kind of has to happen when you have identical names!
2 - Pico
Not only that, but both have delved into Middle-Eastern music (although the trumpet player has probably been into it more).
Kinda remainds me of the fact that there have been several "Bill Evans" jazz musicians: the piano player, and two who play sax. Thankfully, one of the sax players changed his name to Yusef Lateef.