Video: Emmet Cohen Explains Inspirations Behind Title Track of 'Vibe Provider' Album

Critically acclaimed pianist, composer, and bandleader Emmet Cohen has released a video where he explains the melodic and technical inspirations behind the title track of Vibe Provider, his new album out August 23 via Mack Avenue.

Through the years, Cohen has traveled the world with his sold-out performances, created the “most highly watched regular online jazz show in the world” (The Guardian) with Live From Emmet’s Place, and has served as an ambassador for most essential principles of the jazz tradition. However, it’s his friendship with the Harlem-based creative Michael Funmi Ononaiye, the original “Vibe Provider” per his lovingly earned nickname, that most profoundly shaped his musical journey. 

On Vibe Provider, Cohen presents a masterful blend of original compositions and beloved classics, dedicated to the memory of his late friend and mentor, alongside an all-star band including Bruce Harris (trumpet), Tivon Pennicott (tenor saxophone), Frank Lacy (trombone), Cecily Petrarca (koshkah), Philip Norris (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums), and Kyle Poole (drums, producer). 

Michael Funmi Ononaiye, who died of cancer in December 2023, worked as a chief programmer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, a DJ and an A&R executive, among other professional roles. But more than anything, the worldly Nigerian-born New Yorker was an omnipresent force of positivity and spiritual healing — “the mayor of Harlem,” Cohen says, whose generous presence could elevate any gig, festival or dancefloor. 

But Ononaiye was no mere cheerleader. Opting not to own a smartphone, he practiced and preached a message of authentic experience. “He often used to talk about how we’re too clogged up with information,” Cohen recalls. “Too much news consumption, too much phone, too much everything, and we don’t leave enough space for possibility.”

Cohen first encountered Ononaiye over a decade ago, not long after the young pianist had relocated to New York and started working steadily. “It was one of the first times I realized how much better musicians play when they’re engaged appropriately from the audience,” he remembers. “He brought this old-school spirit of respect, love and enthusiasm to every gig.” 

A friendship blossomed, and deepened over the years. When the pandemic hit and Cohen developed the Live at Emmet’s Place concept, Ononaiye would often be the lone audience member; his exuberance was so powerful that the band still felt as if they were gigging in a packed club. As the series gathered steam (the live streams and videos have accumulated over 36 million views on YouTube alone), Ononaiye became an invaluable resource, suggesting lineups and making connections. It’s a scientific fact that Funmi knew every fascinating person on the jazz scene, or any scene.

“Funmi was the vibe provider, but he taught us that we all have that inside of us,” Cohen says. “We all have the ability to brighten a room or to change someone’s world for a minute or a lifetime—with music, vibrations, energy or even just a smile. And those things are important. So I wanted to get some of his favorite musicians together and make a beautiful statement in tribute. That was the concept of this album.”

Named “heir apparent to the neo-traditional jazz mantle” by The New York Times, Cohen is an American Pianists Association award winner, and has been praised by Good Morning America, Associated Press, and many more. Cohen has been consistently recognized in DownBeat's annual Critics and Readers polls, achieving #1 Rising Star Pianist in 2022. 

Vibe Provider is out August 23 via Mack Avenue Records.

Tracklisting:

1. Lion Song
2. Surrey With the Fringe on Top
3. Vibe Provider
4. Unblock the Love
5. Henei Ma Tov
6. If This Isn’t Love
7. Everlasting
8. Time on My Hands
9. Emmet’s Blues

US Tour Dates:

08/31: Washington, DC - DC Jazz Fest @ The Wharf DC
09/22: Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival 2024
10/14: Hilton Head Island, SC - Jazz For All Ages Jazz Festival (feat. special guest Kurt Elling)
11/03: Lexington, KY - Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts
11/04: Cincinnati, OH - Caffè Vivace
11/07 - 11/10: Chicago, IL - Jazz Showcase
11/15: Minneapolis, MN - Dakota
11/16: Germantown, TN - Germantown Performing Arts Center
11/17: Indianapolis, IN - The Jazz Kitchen
11/20 - 11/24: St. Louis, MO - Jazz St. Louis

Photo Credit: Evelyn Freja

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