The album "Playing The Room" testifies to the deep musical connection between Avishai Cohen and Yonathan Avishai. The two began their shared exploration of jazz as teenagers in Tel Aviv. Their debut as a duo presents original compositions by both the trumpeter and the pianist and concludes with a sensitive interpretation of Alexander Argov's lullaby "Shir Eres." Throughout the album, they unfold their free, playful, and soulful improvisations on traditional jazz themes. The album title alludes to the special role of the recording venue—the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano—whose resonant acoustics the two musicians fully exploit in their chamber music-like performance, characterized by intimacy and concentration. The recordings, made in September 2018, were produced under the direction of Manfred Eicher.
