Tomer Cohen

Tomer Cohen (American-Israeli guitar player) was born in the US, but spent his
childhood in the countryside in Israel. He picked up the guitar at a young age and
from that moment on, he knew that music was his pursuit in life. He studied jazz at
the Israeli Conservatory of Music at Tel Aviv; after that, he was granted a scholarship
from The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and then moved to New
York, where he graduated from the BFA Jazz Program.
 
Over the years, Tomer has steadily become a promising talent in NYC’s jazz scene.
He has performed in numerous gigs as a band leader both locally and internationally.
He has gained a large amount of performance experience by playing with his trio
ensemble at a wide array of venues, from small locations to large festivals. At each
show, his project encounters the audience with original materials and compositions
which reflect on Tomer’s life moments, emotions and experiences.
 
In December 2021 he finished recording his debut album "Not the Same River" along
with the drummer Obed Calvaire (a ubiquitous figure on the NYC scene and currently
a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis) and the
bassist Matt Penman (formerly with the SF Jazz Collective and sideman on over 100
recordings). You can hear in this album the influences Tomer had over the years -
Middle Eastern, Jazz from NYC scene, Folk and Rock. It is to be released by Hypnote
Records (European based label) in mid-February.
 
The album title, Cohen explained, relates to an expression by the Greek philosopher
Heraclitus: No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and
he’s not the same man. “That’s the sentence that encompasses all the compositions on
the album,” he said. “We are constantly in motion, we’re always changing, and we
just need to accept that. What I was trying to do on this record is connect some
stories, images and life philosophies that I have into one thing.”

Gear

Gibson 335, Quilter Tone Block 202

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