Episode 1-Emmet Cohen: Jazz Streaming Visionary

Strictly Jazz Sounds

On today’s episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, I have a conversation with Emmet about his show: how he selects the guests, the challenges doing the show, the dreams he holds for it and the impact he hopes to have on jazz as an artform. Emmet Cohen is a pianist, composer, bandleader, and internet entrepreneur. What began as a means to play a gig when the Covid 19 pandemic-imposed lockdown closed the Kansas City venue he was scheduled to play, became a whole other enterprise. Every Monday night at 7:30 pm ET since March 2020, Emmet Cohen, with his show “Live at Emmet’s Place”, kicks off his shoes, sits at his Steinway piano, joined by his trio companions Russell Hall on bass and Kyle Poole on drums, and converts his Harlem apartment into one of the hottest places to be in New York City. It’s the old-time Harlem rent party transformed into an internet-streamed production that has attracted millions of people the world over. Emmet and his trio initially performed on his iPhone. Today, he has an entire crew setting up the show and working it. Emmet has invited many performers from the New York jazz scene into his apartment along with others from the extended jazz diaspora. These include Patrick Bartley, Bruce Harris, Samara Joy, Christian McBride, Nicole Glover, Benny Bennack III, Veronica Swift, and many others. The legacy musicians include Joe Lovano, Sheila Jordon, Mary Stallings, Houston Person, Albert “Tootie” Heath, and George Coleman. The results have been nothing short of historical and amazing. As a result, Emmet has been recognized by the Jazz Journalists Association for what many consider as legendary and visionary streaming of live jazz.