by Massimo Ricci

First meeting with Cohen’s music and a rewarding experience overall in regard to Sea Of Reeds, not a groundbreaking statement but, most definitely, a valuable compendium. Pacifying chamber textures derive from a variety of factors: in particular, the composer’s spiritual heritage, showcased in the re-adapting of several ancient Jewish tunes. The initial “Variously Blue” and the poignant “Slow, Still, Tranquil” (the latter from the Yedid Nefesh cycle) are this writer’s preferred episodes, a number of unheralded turns and a range of adroitly organized contrapuntal climates interpreted by impeccable performers utterly involved with the material. When “harmonious virtuosity” rhymes with “moderation”, that’s OK with me.