2003 · Album
Lyla
Album: Lyla · Artist: Avishai Cohen · Year: 2003 · Critical Reception: The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings: 3.5/4
Cohen's Piano Statement Arrives Fully Formed
Lyla catches Cohen at a moment of clarity, leading a band that listens as hard as he thinks.
By 2003, Avishai Cohen had already proven himself as a bassist and composer in various contexts, but Lyla represents his emergence as a bandleader with a clear voice. This is not a debut — it arrives with the confidence of someone who knows what he wants to hear. Cohen moves to piano here, placing himself at the center rather than the foundation, and the shift matters. The band around him — Yosvany Terry on alto saxophone, Diego Urcola on trumpet, Yagil Baras on bass guitar, the flutist listed in personnel, Mark Guiliana on electronic instruments, and Eric McPherson on membranophone — operates with the kind of focus that suggests careful rehearsal and real musical conversation. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded it three and a half stars, which amounts to genuine endorsement rather than polite acknowledgment. What makes Lyla distinct is its refusal to settle into one mood. Cohen's piano work ranges from direct and rhythmic to spacious and searching, and the band follows without ever sounding reactive. The horns trade lines with precision but never sound locked into patterns. This is working music — the sound of musicians who trust each other enough to take risks without losing shape. For listeners new to Cohen's work as a leader, Lyla is a solid entry point, though it helps to approach it with patience. It's the kind of album that reveals itself over multiple listens rather than announcing itself on first contact.
Who's playing
Yagil Barasbass guitar
Avishai Cohenpiano
Yosvany Terryalto saxophone
Diego Urcolatrumpet
אבי ליבוביץ׳flute
Mark Guilianaelectronic instruments
Eric McPhersonmembranophone
