Marc Cohn Bio
One Sunday morning in the early '70s, a youngster in Cleveland
caught an earful of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks and his life was never
to be the same. That kid was Marc Cohn and soon after that morning, he
bought everything Morrison had released to date, along with works by
Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne. Not long after an older brother
taught him a Ray Charles tune on the piano, he joined a cover band,
Doanbrook Hotel. He sang with them from junior high school until he
left home for Oberlin College. All the while, Cohn learned to play
guitar and was dabbling with the craft of songwriting since the cover
band played everything but the kind of songs he loved so dearly. At
Oberlin, Cohn taught himself to play the piano and a lasting bond
formed. Soon enough, he transferred to U.C.L.A. and hit the Los Angeles
coffeehouse and steakhouse circuit. Cohn made yet another move -- this
time to New York to be with his fiancée and he then formed the Supreme
Court, a 14-piece band complete with horn section. Putting the unusual
spins on popular tunes, the band gained a following which included
Carly Simon, who recommended they play Caroline Kennedy's wedding. That
gig seemed like a good stopping point, as Cohn left the band to once
again focus on his own songs. He sent a piano/vocal demo to Atlantic
Records and landed himself a deal and from there he co-produced his
debut with Ben Wisch with some assistance from John Leventhal. What
emerged was a beautifully tasteful and intelligent album that included
the hit "Walking in Memphis" and won Cohn a Grammy Award for Best New
Artist. The Rainy Season followed in 1993 and was a thematic complement
to Cohn's debut. Folks like David Crosby and Graham Nash stepped up to
the mic to lend their vocal support to this soulful new talent. Cohn
was quiet for several years until 1998 with the release of Burning the
Daze. Once again, the guests lined up to appear with Cohn. From Patty
Griffin and Rosanne Cash to Chris Botti and Martin Sexton, Cohn is
certainly not short on musical friends. ~ Kelly McCartney, All Music
Guide
Written by Kelly McCartney
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