Greg Cohen

Greg Cohen
Masada in concert: Joey Baron (drums), Greg Cohen (bass), Dave Douglas (trumpet), John Zorn (saxophone)
Background information
Born	(1953-07-13) July 13, 1953 (age 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, jazz fusion
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Bass guitar, double bass
Associated acts	John Zorn, Masada, Ornette Coleman, Tom Waits, Woody Allen, Dave Douglas, Loudon Wainwright III, Elvis Costello

Greg Cohen (born July 13, 1953) is an American jazz bassist who has been a member of John Zorn's Masada quartet and worked with numerous other noted musicians for over four decades.

Career[]

Cohen plays traditional jazz and other styles, including work with Ken Peplowski, Kenny Davern, Marty Grosz, and Woody Allen. He has also worked with Tom Waits, David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Dagmar Krause, David Sanborn, Susana Baca, Gal Costa, Marisa Monte, Laurie Anderson, Willie Nelson, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Dave Douglas, Tricky, Jesse Harris, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, Joey Baron, Donovan, Crystal Gayle, Bob Dylan, Nina Nastasia, Alan Watts, Lee Konitz, Richie Havens, Dino Saluzzi, Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull, Odetta, Vesna Pisarović, Danny Barker, Tim Sparks, and Antony and the Johnsons.

In August 2006 he was musical director of the Century of Song series at the German arts festival RuhrTriennale. He invited songwriters and performers such as David Byrne, Holly Cole and Laurie Anderson.

He has been a regular member of Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band, which played at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. He appeared in the documentary Wild Man Blues (directed by Barbara Kopple) about a 1996 European tour by Allen and his band. Cohen appears in Robert Altman's 1993 film Short Cuts.^[1]

Cohen is a bass professor and the head of string department at the Jazz Institute Berlin.^[2] and honorary professor in contemporary rhythmic music at SDMK - Danish National Academy of Music.^[3][4]

Discography[]

As leader[]

• Way Low (DIW, 1996)
• Moment to Moment (DIW, 1998)
• Golden State (Relative Pitch, 2014)^[5]

As sideman[]

With Laurie Anderson

• Bright Red (Warner Bros., 1994)
• Life on a String (Elektra Nonesuch, 2001)

With Dave Douglas

• Charms of the Night Sky (Winter & Winter, 1997)
• A Thousand Evenings (RCA, 2000)
• El Trilogy (BMG, 2001)

With Tim Sparks

• At the Rebbe's Table (Tzadik, 2002)
• Little Princess (Tzadik, 2009)

With Tom Waits

• Heartattack and Vine (Asylum, 1980)
• Swordfishtrombones (Island, 1983)
• Rain Dogs (Island, 1985)
• Franks Wild Years (Island, 1987)
• The Black Rider (Island, 1993)
• Mule Variations (Anti, 1999)

With John Zorn

• Masada: Alef (DIW, 1994) with Masada
• Masada: Beit (DIW, 1994) with Masada
• Masada: Gimel (DIW, 1994) with Masada
• Masada: Dalet (DIW, 1994) with Masada
• Masada: Hei (DIW, 1995) with Masada
• Masada: Vav (DIW, 1995) with Masada
• Masada: Zayin (DIW, 1996) with Masada
• Masada: Het (DIW, 1996) with Masada
• Masada: Tet (DIW, 1997) with Masada
• Masada: Yod (DIW, 1997) with Masada
• Bar Kokhba (Tzadik, 1996) with Bar Kokhba
• The Circle Maker Tzadik, 1998) with Bar Kokhba and Masada String Trio
• First Live 1993 (Tzadik, 2002) with Masada
• Live in Jerusalem 1994 (Tzadik, 1997) with Masada
• Live in Taipei 1995 (Tzadik, 1997) with Masada
• Live in Middleheim 1999 (Tzadik, 1999) with Masada
• Live in Sevilla 2000 (Tzadik, 2000) with Masada
• Live at Tonic 2001 (Tzadik., 2000) with Masada
• The Unknown Masada (Tzadik, 2003)
• Filmworks XI: Secret Lives (Tzadik, 2002) with Masada String Trio
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 1 (Tzadik, 2003) with Masada String Trio
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 7 (Tzadik, 2003) with Masada
• 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 11 (Tzadik, 2003) with Masada String Trio
• Astaroth: Book of Angels Volume 1 (Tzadik, 2004) with the Jamie Saft Trio
• Sanhedrin 1994–1997 (Tzadik, 2005) with Masada
• Azazel: Book of Angels Volume 2 (Tzadik, 2005) with Masada String Trio
• Lucifer: Book of Angels Volume 10 (Tzadik, 2008) with Bar Kokhba
• Stolas: Book of Angels Volume 12 (Tzadik, 2009) with Masada Quintet
• Filmworks XX: Sholem Aleichem (Tzadik, 2008)
• Alhambra Love Songs (Tzadik, 2009)
• Baal: Book of Angels Volume 15 (Tzadik, 2010) with Ben Goldberg Quartet
• Haborym: Book of Angels Volume 16 (Tzadik, 2010) with Masada String Trio
• In Search of the Miraculous (Tzadik, 2010)

With others

• Fiona Apple, When the Pawn... (Epic/Work, 1999)
• Cyro Baptista, Vira Loucos (Avant, 1997)
• Steve Beresford, Signals for Tea (Avant, 1995)
• David Byrne, Feelings (Warner Bros. 1997)
• David Byrne, Look into the Eyeball (Virgin, 2001)
• Randy Newman, Bad Love (Dreamworks, 1999)
• Randy Newman, Harps and Angels (Nonesuch, 2008)
• Michael Franks, Time Together (Shanachie, 2011)
• Anthony Coleman, Sephardic Tinge (Tzadik, 1995)
• Kenny Davern and Ken Peplowski, The Jazz KENnection (Arbors)
• Marianne Faithfull, Easy Come, Easy Go (Naive, 2008)
• Mark Feldman, Secrets with Uri Caine and Joey Baron (Tzadik, 2009)
• Marc Cohn, Join the Parade (Decca, 2007)
• Keiji Haino, An Unclear Trial (Avant, 1998)
• Joe Jackson, Fast Forward (Caroline, 2015)
• Madeleine Peyroux, Dreamland (Atlantic, 1996)
• Marc Ribot, Shoe String Symphonettes (Tzadik, 1997)
• Jamie Saft, Trouble: The Jamie Saft Trio Plays Bob Dylan (Tzadik, 2006)
• Julian Siegel, Live at The Vortex (Basho, 2008)
• Loudon Wainwright III, Social Studies (Hannibal, 1999)

References[]

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