American pianist sheds new light on traditional styles, tipping his hat to past masters of jazz.
Emmet Cohen piano, Philip Norris double bass, Kyle Poole drums
With his fluent piano playing, Emmet Cohen brings the tradition of jazz to the forefront while providing the modern twist needed for the current times. On his previous album Future Stride he breathed new life into the one hundred year old style of piano virtuosos such as James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. The title of his new album Uptown In Orbit references Blues In Orbit by Duke Ellington, as well as the New York neighborhood Harlem (‘Uptown’)-Cohen lives there in the same street as Ellington once lived.
As a finalist of the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, Emmet Cohen was received at the White House by president Obama at age twenty-one. Cohen learned vintage piano styles through his regular gigs in jazz clubs and by collaborating with veterans such as Benny Golson, Ron Carter and Jimmy Cobb. On KZfaq he created the popular series Live From Emmet’s Place, with sessions from his apartment that featured illustrious guest musicians such as Veronica Swift, Nicolas Payton en Christian McBride.