Arts Centre Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

Bass player/composer Avishai Cohen, born in Israel, started out studying classical piano, but switched to electric bass after hearing the legendary Jaco Pastorius. He gained fame as the bass players in Chick Corea’s acoustic sextet Origin, and his extraordinary technique and unusual style on the acoustic bass quickly turned him into something of a phenomenon. He strums, plucks, strokes and beats his instrument as he writhes around it like a boa constrictor circling its prey. In his compositions, often featuring hypnotizing rhythms and compound rhythms, he effortlessly blends Western and Eastern influences to create his own personal style.