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Jill Cohn
The Absence Of Moving
Various Reviews - 1999-2001
"Cohn's lilting acoustic pop excursions are deeply personal and often heartstring tugging"
--Buzz Weekly (Los Angeles, CA)
"Smart piano based Folk-Rock comparable to the work of Tori Amos and Paula Cole"
--Willamette Week (Portland, OR)
"Extraordinary, pleasantly powerful voice"
--New Times (Phoenix, AZ)
The first track of 'the absence of Moving' from Jill Cohn had me nearly pigeonholing her instead as a lovely, lilting Sarah McLaughlin-inspired vocalist. However, the second track confused this characterization as it departed greatly from the first track's mood, with Cohn singing lustily and almost darkly about a "Louisiana Lover." The third track, "happy," is vaguely reminiscent of Joni Mitchell in its unusual chord constructions and over-the-top treble vocal lines. By the fourth track, an acoustic-guitar backed vocal-dexterity showcase, I abandoned any attempt at labeling this multi-faceted artist and just sat back and enjoyed the album.
Far from being "limited" by a basis in the piano, this folk/pop singer-songwriter displays a determination to achieve the perfect instrumentation in her beautifully arranged and self-produced album. Each song perfectly incorporates some atypical and instantly memorable sounds of instruments like accordion and concertina with percussion, bass, and Cohn's piano or acoustic guitar. In fact, the piano shines through as the dominant instrument on only a trio of songs in this collection of well-written and emotionally performed explorations of human nature.
Jill Cohn writes of the search for love, the purpose of life, finding strength in oneself, the nature of evil, and the essence of success and happiness all in one beautifully mellow breath. She has a mature command of her art and a magical way of presenting it in performance. Luckily, this independent artist tours constantly around the southwest, promoting her music and sharing her magic with others. If you aren't lucky enough to live in that area, try to make the time to check out her CD and meet a truly thoughtful artist.
--Megan McGehee - GoGirlsMusic.com
What strikes you first about Jill Cohn is her voice. It's rich, with a certain weightlessness that allows it to soar. The very next thing is her consummate songwriting skill. Cohn's lyrics are as strong as her alternately delicate and earthmoving melodies, and the wealth of subject matter she employs is from her own bastion of personal experience.
With four releases under her belt and countless live appearances, Cohn defines the singer-songwriter. Her most recent disc, The Absence of Moving (Box o' Beanies), is a self-produced affair that showcases Cohn fronting her Seattle-based band and offers something of a departure from her previous, largely solo work. She's thoroughly effective accompanying herself on piano--her chops in that regard are formidable--but the ensemble setting of the new album adds an magnified urgency to her music.
Cohn has been compared to nearly all of the women on the singer-songwriter circuit, but there isn't a single comparison that can be made to describe the overwhelming relevance of her work. Of course, if you happen to be a fan of Tori Amos, Paula Cole, et. al., then you're likely to find yourself swept away the moment Cohn lays her hands on the 88s. In fact, you're so likely to get caught up in the moment, you'll feel as though you're on the inside looking out.
--Michael Henningsen - Weekly Alibi - Albuquerque, NM, Jan 5, 2001
Jill Cohn's nearly constant tour swings through Seattle once again, bringing Cohn's own special blend of folk-infused pop. Pick a pop songbird--especially one who plays piano--and Cohn's probably been compared to her, but she has a style all her own that defies comparison. She's more sensual than most of her ilk, and she has an impressive voice that's capable of whispering or belting with equal impact.
--Genevieve Williams - The Stranger - Seattle, WA, Dec 12, 2000
On her fourth full-length effort, Seattle's Jill Cohn continues to traverse the world of love and longing with a burning grace. The follow-up to the moving live set The Laughing Universe, which was recorded at a benefit for First Place, a school for homeless children, The Absence of Moving may conjure the the gentle phrasing of Edie Brickell, and the hushed poetic whisper of Joni Mitchell, but Cohn's ability to infuse a song with a resonant and dusky glow is a skill uniquely her own. From the skidding shuffle of "Shore," a number that features Cohn at her most commanding, to the lilting "Instead of the Innocent," The Absence of Moving is often a dark look at what gets left to burn when the heart changes its mind.
Capable of effortlessly reaching astonishing vocal heights, or opting instead for a hushed murmur to convey an emotion, Cohn's strength as a singer is that you never know where's she's going next. For example on the moving "Kayenta," she deftly switches from a soft, finessed delivery to a gorgeous yodeling falsetto that is impossible to resist. "Kayenta," is a winning number replete with a winning chorus, "Happy," is a delicate piano ballad, and "Louisiana Lover," has a soulful groove that gives the song an understated sexiness. Produced by Cohn, The Absence of Moving is a quiet triumph, a musical diamond in the rough that is has an undeniable tenderness. Not one to skimp on heart or emotion, Cohn's compositions are brave in that they are bold open letters to the lost or the heartbroken. Cohn's songs are like Paula Cole or Tori Amos in that they champion honesty and offer the truth even though it's the truth that may be the thing that hurts the most. The Absence of Moving is not a mournful collection of smoky ballads, but it is a rousing batch of sensuous songs that aren't afraid to burn.
--Alex Green - Campus Circle Magazine - Los Angeles, CA
There's something about the way Jill Cohn sings that makes whatever her subject matter is seem sacred. There's virtually nothing that escapes her songwriter's pen. From love and loss to the persistence of hope, Cohn brings a crystalline clarity to everything that moves her. Her voice is as vast as the Great Northwest, which she calls home. The Seattle-based singer-songwriter has spent much of the past four years touring independently on the strength of three critically acclaimed solo albums. Her fourth, the ironically titled The Absence of Moving (Box o' Beanies), is her strongest yet.
Frequently compared to Tori Amos, Paula Cole and various Lilith-ites, Cohn is far too entrenched in her own identity to bow to such parallels. She is a fine pianist, and her voice is delightfully lofty, but Cohn's songs are uniquely her own. While her earlier work was largely piano-based (hence the Amos connection), her latest and its predecessor, Stories from the Blue Bus (Box o' Beanies), are both marked by the more frequent inclusion of thoughtful guitar, drums and acoustic bass. By broadening her palette gradually with more richly arranged instrumentation, Cohn has successfully allowed her music to evolve naturally, by turns allowing her voice room to move.
And move it does, gracefully transitioning between a gentle whisper and a commanding soprano. Cohn's songs are less like snapshots of her psyche than they are Super 8 home movies documenting her various passions and experiences. Lyrically, too, she shines. Her words shimmer magically, levitating ever so slightly above her well-constructed melodies, just enough to create the kind of deliciously nervous tension that keeps lovers enthralled. With simple grace and overwhelming charm, Jill Cohn adds a fresh twist to singer-songwriter folk-rock that has rarely been seen this side of Joni Mitchell. She's not someone you can afford to pass up.
--Michael Henningsen - The Weekly Wire - June 1, 1999
On her third and most recent CD, Stories from the Bluebus, Jill Cohn bridges musical worlds - with her roots in the folk traditions of the 1960s and '70s, she explores the digital clarity and sleekness of the 1990's recording process.
Cohn is scheduled to perform at Nutglade Station in Dunsmuir this Friday night from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The Bluebus is her mode of transportation as she travels from show to show on the west coast, southwest and Texas, journeys she's been making since December of 1996.
On the Bluebus CD, Cohn creates a lush, dreamy soundscape. Her compositions stay within folk/pop boundaries for the most part, yet on a few pieces she takes flight into new territory.
On Easter, a different version of which was recorded for her Laughing Universe CD, Cohn goes over the top with exquisite vocals - silky yet soaring - combined with a melancholy, memory-drenched instrumental soundtrack. She reaches into an emotion-filled past and you can feel the swirling images and impressions of a previous era as her spirit comes to the forefront.
One of the most pleasing facets of Cohn's vocal technique is her ability to "jump" from chest voice to falsetto. Her ability to move around in her "vocal world" is truly enjoyable.
The arrangements of Cohn's songs are sparse but eloquent. She's responsible for all the arrangements except on Easter, where she is assisted by Cameron Williams, Kirk Bently, and Chris Hawkins. Gary Merryck co-wrote The Scared Song.
Other highlights on the album include Sorrow House, with its laid -back piano groove, light drum kit, and melodic harmony lines; and 1st Day in June, which is reminiscent of a childhood memory - family, swimming, and friends on a lazy summer day.
Although Cohn, who plays both piano and guitar, has been compared to Joni Mitchell - and sure shows hints of a Sarah McLaughlin influence - she claims her own clear identity and offers a pleasing musical journey with Bluebus.
--Karl Joseph - Mt. Shasta News
The first time I heard Jill Cohn play I was walking down Broadway, in Seattles's artistic Capitol Hill District, when I was drawn to the soulful electric sounds pouring out of a local coffee house. I watched through the crowd, that had formed on the sidewalk, and stopped to listen. There she stood eyes shut behind her piano, jet black curls framing her face, as she sang sweetly into the microphone while riding a musical wave provided by the electric undercurrent of her band. The street echoed with applause as more and more Gen-xers, and couples out for the evening decide to step inside for the show, standing room only. I thought who does she sound like? She sounds like a lot of people,some will make comparisons to Tori Amos. I say more of a Sarah McLachlan because this girls got some heavy duty lyrical content along with the vocal and musical chops to back it up.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jill Cohn between her busy touring schedules, perpetually touring on a three to six week turnaround, she is one of the hardest working artists on the west coast.Already with two self produced albums to her credit, "13September6" and "The Laughing Universe", she is already making plans for albums three and four. I asked her about her musical direction and she seems content for now to proceed in more of an acoustical/ folk direction, playing with acoustic band members Dennis Stukauski and Tim Miller, but spoke of plans for experimenting with new sounds for upcoming albums. Fortunate for the bevy of female artists out there because if this girl ever decided to go rock /alternative there would be no stopping her. I get the feeling that she realizes this but isn't concerned with that right now. Her priority, as she says, is "making her music the way she feels it right now, her way.
"At thirty three she finds herself still paying her dues as a musician and artist. After six long years of admitted self destructive behavior, Jill Cohn has found the strength and grace to "pull herself up from the depths of despair". Translating her experiences into music that is at the same time compelling and intimate, yet thought provoking and spiritually inspiring and full of social conscience. For Jill walking the tightrope of transition" is something she performs " on a daily basis, living a simpler life, being happy with less and even living out of her bus on the road. She admits that while she loves playing with both her bands it has been difficult to balance the finance and logistics of touring with a band. So she goes it alone for now, touring solo and financing her career on "credit cards and faith".
While early influences include Joni Mitchell, Carol King, Kate Bush and Coltrane, her first album "13September6" is very eclectic. The use of dissonant chords on cuts like "Girl Named Kate" give the song a very dark moody melancholy. While Chris Hawkins fuzzy mellow guitar leads lend an alternative flavor to the upbeat "The Time Is Now". The album is spiced and flavored throughout with contributions from premier L.A. percussionist Casio Duarte.
In asking about songwriting habits she remarked that "songs are like love affairs and children, you never know when they're gonna happen".The spontaneous spirit of these words are evident in the second album ." The Laughing Universe", a live 8-track recording produced by engineer David Eaton, was recorded during a December benefit for "First Place", a homeless children's program in Seattle. The cuts from the album are all Jill and what she can do with her piano. I attended the show, staged in a chapel in downtown Seattle. Appropriately billed as "Acoustic Eden" the name captures the emotional and passionate spirit of Jill Cohn's exchange with her small but loyal following. Both albums are worthy and Jill Cohn seems poised to take her rightful place among the legion of contemporary female singer/ songwriters. She is singing about things in a way few musicians are today.
--Michael Lubrano - The Seeker's Garden
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