Press release No. PM-2026-002 · Cologne, 2 September 2026

Concert
Avishai Cohen »Big Vicious«

Date
Monday, 7 September 2026, 8 pm

Venue
Kölner Philharmonie, Bischofsgartenstraße 1, 50667 Cologne

Line-up
Avishai Cohen (trumpet, effects), Uzi Ramirez (guitar), Yonatan Albalak (bass), Jonathan Levy (bass), Aviv Cohen (drums), Ziv Ravitz (drums, effects)

Cologne, 2 September 2026. On Monday, 7 September 2026, the association Jüdisches Leben in Europa (JEWLIF) presents the concert Avishai Cohen »Big Vicious« at the Kölner Philharmonie, in cooperation with Cologne Jazzweek. Cologne Jazzweek was named Festival of the Year at the German Jazz Prize 2023. The sixth edition of Cologne Jazzweek (CJW) runs from 5 to 11 September 2026 in Cologne.

After the trumpeter Avishai Cohen moved from New York back to his home country Israel, to Tel Aviv, he brought together musician friends for his new electric band, people he had known for a long time and had played with as a teenager. By then he had long made a name for himself internationally as a charismatic trumpeter, as a bandleader with a taste for co-operative line-ups, and as a composer who moved with a fine ear between the traditions of improvised music in the United States and in Europe.

“Cologne Jazzweek and we share the conviction that music connects people. In our cultural project Mentsh United we also work with music, film and education to build bridges between people. We are proud of where we are based. In Cologne, Jewish life north of the Alps has been documented since the year 321, and the anniversary year »1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany« was a powerful reminder of that in 2021. We are delighted that Avishai Cohen and his ensemble bring such a high-calibre group from Israel to Cologne.”
Andrei Kovacs, Secretary General, Jüdisches Leben in Europa e. V.

He gave his 2020 album the same name as the band he recorded it with, “Big Vicious”. The music is a hybrid. It leans towards rock at times, and in its electronic and digital moments it also carries something of trip hop and ambient. It is never loud or unruly. Cohen works instead with a finely drawn sound architecture, eloquent phrasing and a quiet melodic line, while the two drummers keep the rhythmic foundation under tension throughout.

“We are very pleased about the cooperation with JEWLIF as part of Cologne Jazzweek 2026. The concert by Avishai Cohen and his project Big Vicious at the Kölner Philharmonie is a particular highlight of this year’s festival programme. Since it was founded, Cologne Jazzweek has created new encounters and made tangible what jazz and improvised music stand for: curiosity, openness and playing together as equals. In doing so we support democratic values such as respect, participation and open dialogue, regardless of origin, religion or belief.”
Prof. Janning Trumann, Managing and Artistic Director, Cologne Jazzweek

About JEWLIF

Jüdisches Leben in Europa e. V. (JEWLIF) strengthens Jewish voices in Europe and works on the principle of acting instead of watching. The association is based in Cologne and receives funding from the Federal Ministry of the Interior by decision of the German Bundestag. www.jewlif.org

About Cologne Jazzweek

Cologne Jazzweek takes place for the sixth time in 2026. As an international festival for jazz and improvised music it presents more than 50 concerts on over 20 stages across Cologne. With its wide-ranging programme and many international musicians it makes Cologne visible as a living jazz city well beyond the city limits. www.jazzweek.de

Press contact

Rebecca Westerschulze
pr(at)jewlif.org
+49 221 2929 61-70

Photo credit: Avishai Cohen © Daniella Feijoo

Further information

Concert page at Cologne Jazzweek

Tickets at the Kölner Philharmonie Festival programme

Digital press kit for the concert

The cooperation

The concert is a joint event of Jüdisches Leben in Europa e. V. and Cologne Jazzweek. JEWLIF presents the evening as part of its cultural project MENTSH UNITED within its field of work Art, Culture and Society. Cologne Jazzweek runs the concert as part of its 2026 festival programme. The festival is organised by Jazzstadt UG. The logos of both partners and of the cultural project are available for download for editorial use.