David Bennett Cohen Trio – Founding Member of the Iconic 1960s Band Country Joe & The Fish, Spanning the Roots of Blues and Rock

David Bennett Cohen and his trio are bringing more than six decades of music mastery to Godfrey Daniels. As a founding member of the iconic 1960s band Country Joe & The Fish, Cohen helped shape the sound of an era with his distinctive keyboard style and deep roots in blues and rock. A lifelong musician who’s shared stages with legends like Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia, and Booker T., Cohen continues to captivate audiences with his dynamic performances and expressive musicianship. Join us for an unforgettable evening in our Live Music Listening Room, where the stories and sounds of rock history come alive in an intimate atmosphere.

DAVID BENNETT COHEN
davidbennettcohen.net

David Bennett Cohen has been a professional musician for more than 60 years. Best known for his innovative keyboard playing as an original, founding member of the 1960s rock band, Country Joe and the Fish, he is an equally accomplished guitar player who has been involved in numerous music scenes throughout his varied career.

David began his musical education at the age of seven, studying classical piano for seven years. While studying the piano, he began to teach himself the guitar, beginning at the age of 12. When he was about 14, he heard boogie-woogie piano for the first time and was hooked. Since then, he has explored many different styles of Blues and popular music. He was fortunate enough to have heard Otis Spann, Professor Longhair, Johnnie Johnson and other masters of the genre perform live.

Over the years, he has played and/or recorded with The Blues Project, Mick Taylor, The Luther Tucker Blues Band, Hubert Sumlin, Melvin Van Peebles, Happy and Artie Traum, Eric Andersen, David Blue, Tim Hardin, Norton Buffalo, Jerry Miller, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Buddy Miles, John Cippolina, Huey Lewis, Michael Bloomfield, Bob Weir, Johnnie Johnson, Jimmy Vivino, Jay Owens, Debbie Davies, Byther Smith, Bobby Kyle, Rocky Lawrence, and many others.

As a solo performer, he has shared the bill with Country Joe McDonald, Kenny Rankin, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Jerry Garcia, Leo Kottke, Rufus Thomas, Meatloaf, Booker T., The Roches, Kingfish, J. Giels and Magic Dick and many others.

His critically acclaimed CDs, Cookin’ With Cohen, In the Pocket, and David Bennett Cohen at the Piano are available wherever music is sold.His 2022 release, Bittersweet, made big waves in the music community, receiving many popular reviews. His latest CD, Seems Like a Good Time for the Blues, was released in Oct 2023.

David has made several instructional books, DVD’s and videos on Homespun Tapes; 2 books, David Bennett Cohen Teaches Blues Piano and David Bennett Cohen Teaches Rock and Roll Piano (published with Hal-Leonard); a DVD series on Blues/ Rock Piano and one on Ragtime Piano; a six video series on Blues Piano and, also on video, Blues and Rock Techniques for Hammond Organ. In addition, he has two guitar instruction albums on Kicking Mule Records, How to Play Folk Guitar, and, Rock and Roll Guitar. In spite of his busy schedule, David still finds time for private piano and guitar students. 

He is proud to count among his many students, Peter Cincotti and Dave Keyes, both of whom have established careers of their own. His professional approach, attitude and musicianship enhance any project that he is associated with.