David Bennett Cohen

All Music Guide:

A musician whose long career traversed from Broadway to the blues, David Bennett Cohen began studying classical piano at the age of seven, two years later beginning to teach himself the guitar. As a teen he heard boogie-woogie piano for the first time, the start of a life-long obsession with the blues; however, he initially found success at the dawn of the psychedelic era, signing on as the original keyboardist in Country Joe and the Fish. In addition to working with the Blues Project, Mick Taylor, Tim Hardin, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Huey Lewis, Michael Bloomfield and Bob Weir in the years to follow, Cohen also enjoyed a solo career, sharing bills with Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Jerry Garcia, Leo Kottke, Rufus Thomas and others. His Broadway tenure included a stint playing keyboards and guitar in the touring production of the smash Rent; during the 1990s, he also backed former Johnny Copeland sideman Bobby Kyle. Additionally, Cohen authored a pair of instructional books, David Bennett Cohen Teaches Blues Piano, Volumes I and II, which were released with accompanying CDs; for Homespun Tapes, he also recorded two audio-teaching tape series (Blues/Rock Piano and Ragtime Piano) and a three-volume videotape series (Blues Piano). Additionally, a pair of guitar instruction LPs were issued by the Kicking Mule label.

Wikipedia:

David Bennett Cohen (born August 4, 1942, Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician best known as the original keyboardist for the late-1960s psychedelic rock and blues band Country Joe and the Fish.

Early life and influences

Cohen's musical career began at age seven, when he began seven years of classical piano training. He also learned to play guitar at age nine. When he was fourteen, Cohen heard boogie-woogie piano for the first time, and from then on his playing was influenced by boogie-woogie, as well as piano blues. When he was young Cohen attended live performances of Otis Spann, Professor Longhair, Meade Lux Lewis among others.

Career

During his career, Cohen has played and/or recorded with The Blues Project, Mick Taylor, Luther Tucker, Elvin Bishop, Hubert Sumlin, Melvin Van Peebles, Happy and Artie Traum, Arlen Roth, Eric Anderson, David Blue, Tim Hardin, Norton Buffalo, Jerry Miller, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Buddy Miles, John Cipollina, Huey Lewis, Michael Bloomfield, Bob Weir, Country Joe McDonald, John Kahn, Johnnie Johnson, Jimmy Vivino, Jay Owens, Debbie Davies, Byther Smith, Bobby Kyle, Rocky Lawrence, Johnny B. Gayden, Sandra Feva, Kenny Rankin, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Jerry Garcia, Leo Kottke, Rufus Thomas, Meat Loaf, Booker T. Jones, The Roches, Kingfish, The J. Geils Band, Magic Dick and many others.