About
Multi-Grammy winning trumpeter John Daversa says “there are very few situations in life where you meet someone who really sees you the way you are and the way you want to be.” For Daversa, that someone is pianist Tal Cohen, and their project is The Art of Duo.
Daversa is well known for his work with jazz icon Herbie Hancock, Burt Bacharach, Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Joe Cocker and Andy Williams. Also, a Grammy winner, Cohen is known for his collaborations with artists Terence Blanchard, Greg Osby, Ignacio Berroa, Joe Lovano and more.
But don’t call The Art of Duo “jazz.” The experience is spontaneous and improvisational featuring piano, trumpet, and an Akai EVI (electronic valve instrument), but there is far more taking place. The duo format has allowed both musicians to understand each other, taking risks and building art together with a very wide palette.
“Looking at each other gives us both a player with the capacity we see in ourselves,” says Daversa. “This enables us to have a joint presence we otherwise only recognize and project in our own playing.”
“It’s like brothers wrestling each other to the ground,” Cohen adds. “Pushing each other to be the best we can be, testing strength and wits and pulling the best out of each other.”
“The Art of Duo” shows off and presents many sides of John Daversa and Tal Cohen as players, composers, arrangers, and musical partners. The project also goes well beyond the traditional expectations of a jazz duo. With the sheer excitement of unfiltered experimentation, Daversa and Cohen flawlessly incorporate electric instrumentation and vocal performances alongside the more traditional piano/trumpet format.
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