Tomer Cohen

Biography
Press

Tomer Cohen (American-Israeli guitar player & composer) was born in the US in 1996 and spent his childhood in the Israeli countryside. He picked up the guitar at a young age, and from that moment on he knew that music would be his pursuit in life. He studied jazz at the Israeli Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv, and later received a scholarship to The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, where he graduated from the BFA Jazz Program.

Over the years, Tomer has steadily become a promising voice in New York City’s jazz scene. He performs extensively as a bandleader both locally and internationally, leading projects that range from intimate club settings to major festival stages. His music is rooted in original compositions that reflect personal life moments, emotions and experiences, combining lyrical melodies with a strong sense of narrative.

Tomer Cohen has performed and toured extensively across the United States, Mexico, Israel, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Peru and Canada, continuing to develop a musical voice that is both deeply personal and internationally resonant.

In December 2021, Tomer completed the recording of his debut album "Not the Same River", alongside drummer Obed Calvaire and bassist Matt Penman. The album draws on a wide range of influences, including Middle Eastern music, the contemporary New York jazz scene, folk and rock, and was released by Hypnote Records. The album’s title refers to the famous saying by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus - “No man ever steps in the same river twice”, a concept that underpins the record’s musical and philosophical approach. As Cohen explains, the compositions explore ideas of change, movement and personal transformation, weaving together stories, images and life philosophies into a cohesive whole.

"Not the Same River" was met with wide critical acclaim, receiving over 40 reviews worldwide, and was followed by three international tours across the United States and Mexico, Belgium and the United Kingdom and Israel. Building on this momentum, in January 2024 Tomer finished recording his second album "Story of a Traveler", featuring Shai Maestro, Cyrille Obermüller and Gert-Jan Dreessen. Expanding further on his compositional voice, the album reflects themes of movement, identity and transformation. Drawing inspiration from journeys - both physical and inner, and weaving together cinematic atmospheres, lyrical melodies and open improvisation. The album was released by Hypnote Records on February 7th, 2025.

Alongside his work as a bandleader, Tomer is deeply engaged in collaborative projects.

Tags

"Folk elements and Middle Eastern/Israeli musical characters variously interact with Cohen’s jazz foundation. Cohen’s first lap, solo discography-wise, makes a strong artistic statement, but one that also entails critical restraint and an organic melodic impulse at the center of his musical being. He’s one to watch and listen for." - DownBeat Magazine (USA)

"A mature record with no ego. It is striking that the American Israeli does not opt for muscle language. He enriches his pastoral melodies with quicksilver notes, scents and colors." - Jazzism (Nederland)