Lorin Cohen
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Fluent in a variety of jazz, Latin, and popular music styles, Lorin Cohen is a versatile and sought after acoustic and electric bassist, composer, and arranger. A native of the Chicago area, Lorin's professional musical experiences span North America, Asia and Europe.
Raised in a home where the pursuit of artistic endeavors was strongly encouraged, Lorin's love of music began as a child listening to the classical music played by his mother, a former music teacher. Beginning on alto saxophone, Lorin picked up the bass guitar by the encouragement of his brother Elliot, a rock and blues guitarist. Inspired by his family's passion for music, Lorin's interests included Chicago blues, funk, and upon hearing Jaco Pastorious and Chick Corea, jazz. As his love for jazz harmony, improvisation and the "groove" emerged, the call to pursue music became clear, and Lorin began practicing seriously.
Lorin was a student of the pioneering bass guitarist Anthony Jackson at The Manhattan School of Music from 1990-1991. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Northwestern University in 1995. He later studied acoustic bass with Larry Gray, Joe Guastefeste (principal bassist with the Chicago Symphony) and, in two life-changing lessons, with the legendary Ray Brown. In 1998, Lorin received the Blue Note Records Scholarship at the Skidmore Jazz Workshop.
In 2000, Lorin performed at the Ravinia Festival as a resident artist of the Steans Institute. In December of 2002, Lorin performed in Milan, Italy with William Russo's Chicago Jazz Ensemble and clarinetist Buddy DeFranco.
In August and September of 2004, Lorin toured Southeast Asia extensively with The Chicago Jazz Quartet as a "Jazz Ambassador" for the U.S. Department of State. In Vietnam he performed in Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hanoi, and in Haiphong in a premiere performance by an American musical group. In Thailand he performed in Bangkok for the Ambassador at his private residence and in Chiang Mai, where he was featured on Television of Thailand, which was broadcast to over ten million people. In Jakarta, Indonesia, he performed as part of the Gedung Kesenian International Arts Festival, and was featured on "Blues Night" for Republic of Indonesia Television. In the Philippines, Lorin performed in Manila at the American Embassy, and on the island of Cebu.
As one of the few American musicians to perform in Pakistan in recent years, Lorin played in Lahore and at the American Embassy in Islamabad, where he collaborated with local masters of Pakistani music. This tour also brought him to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he played with wooden flute master Samakal Maniruzzaman.
In March of 2005, pianist Monty Alexander asked Lorin to perform with him in Zurich, Switzerland at the famed Widder Hotel. In June of 2005 he performed with The Ryan Cohan Quartet at the Medicine Hat and Calgary Jazz Festivals in Alberta, Canada, and was featured with the Orbert Davis Sextet on the PBS arts showcase "Centerstage." In September of that year he accompanied trombonist Slide Hampton at the Chicago Jazz Festival.
Recent performance highlights include The International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, the Bosendorfer Piano Studio and Fat Cat Jazz Club, all in New York City. In June of 2006 Lorin performed opposite Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson at the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival in Alberta, Canada with the Ryan Cohan Quartet. In July, at the Skidmore Jazz Workshop in Saratoga Springs, New York, Lorin played in the premiere performance of Cohan's jazz suite "One Sky."
In addition to the musicians mentioned above, Lorin has also shared the stage with Andy Bey, Von Freeman, Ari Brown, Houston Person, Bob Sheppard, Ralph Bowen, Joe Labarbara, Bobby Broom and Chuchito Valdes. He has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. with The Chicago Jazz Quartet (2004) as well as with Betty Carter's "Jazz Ahead" (2000). As a member of trumpeter Orbert Davis's group, Lorin has played at the 2001 Chicago Jazz Festival, and is featured on Davis's latest release "Blue Notes."
Lorin is a recipient of the 2006 Community Arts Assistance Program Grant from the City of Chicago and the Illinois Arts Council. He is currently based in Chicago.
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