September 28th 2003
Adrian is featured in writer Timothy Cahill's monthly Times Union feature "Studio Space"

Studio Space - Jazz pianist Adrian Cohen

"Just Commit ..."
 
By TIMOTHY CAHILL, Staff writer for the Albany Times Union
First published: Sunday, September 28, 2003

"Music is the only thing that keeps me from being angry all the time," said Adrian Cohen, composer, songwriter, bandleader and the region's brightest young jazz star. You couldn't tell exactly how serious he was. Anyone who knows Cohen knows he always strives to be affable, cooperative, steady -- a good sport. But jazz runs deeper than manners, and as they say, music hath powers to soothe ...

The 35-year-old pianist won't be seen as much around his old Center Square haunts. He has moved to one of Albany's leafy neighborhoods, to a small house that will also serve as studio for his two combos, the Adrian Cohen Trio and the Earchow Quintet. The quintet specializes in the pianist's own compositions. The trio, a jazz mainstay in the region, just released an album of standards by Brubeck, Monk, Coltrane and others.

"Standards are how the language of jazz is disseminated," said Cohen of playing the old favorites. "These tunes bind you to players currently and in the past. You can have a Brazilian drummer, a Japanese trumpeter and a German saxophonist, and nobody speaks the same language. But when you say 'Stella by Starlight,' everybody knows what you're talking about."

A couple years ago, Cohen came to a crossroads in his career. "I was beginning to hate the piano," he recalled. It just wasn't happening for him. So he did the only thing possible. He bought a baby grand.

"I told myself, I'm going to commit to it, I'm going to call myself a pianist. I just made the commitment. The piano is satisfying on so many levels, intellectually, physically, spiritually, artistically. There's no way I'll ever be able to master it. That's a very hopeful thing for me. It's one thing I'll always be able to count on."

Adrian Cohen plays with The Patneaude/Cohen Quartet every Tuesday night at the Van Dyck in Schenectady, and with his trio every Thursday at Justin's in Albany. The new CD "Standardized" is available on Wepa Records.

Information and a performance schedule is available at http://www.adriancohen.com.

HOME PRESSKIT