Haggai Cohen-Milo on GRAVITATIONS

Berlin-based double bassist and composer Haggai Cohen-Milo is known for his ability to bridge the gap between genres, and nowhere is that more artfully demonstrated than in his latest project. Commissioned by Symphoniker Hamburg and recorded live at the city’s iconic Laeiszhalle, GRAVITATIONS reimagines the legacy of composers like Mahler, Verdi, and Debussy – not by revisiting their scores, but by launching into entirely new musical terrain. 

In advance of his new release, Haggai was able to share how the project came about, the process of creating new work from classic repertoire, and what projects are coming next…

What drew you to the double bass?

Before the double bass, I was playing electric bass guitar. I wanted to play in a band with my friends and we played lots of cover music, punk, rock, metal - that kind of stuff. Slowly, I got more and more into fusion, and from there, to jazz. When I was sixteen I was deeply into jazz music, but still played the electric bass and my father asked me: 'Why don’t you try the double bass, it seems more suited to this jazz you’re into', and that was all I needed. I studied classical bass, played in an orchestra, and continued with jazz in my high school and through playing with friends. It took over. I still play some electric bass and I love it, but the double bass feels like home. 

GRAVITATIONS is an album that blends both classical and jazz – why did you want to bring these two genres together?

I was first approached by Professor Daniel Kühnel of the Hamburg Symphoniker to create some kind of a “jazz reaction” to the Mahler masterpiece Das Lied von Der Erde. My first reaction was that I would not do a “Mahler in jazz” sort of programme, or “jazz plays classical”. This was never my intention. I told him that if he was interested, I would create a completely new piece of music that had strong ties to the Mahler, but is not in any way an arrangement or a cover version. Fortunately for me, he had the guts to go for it. That’s also where the name GRAVITATIONS came from, that this is the kind of connection my music has to the classical masterpieces. They provide the ‘gravitational well’ that anchors the new composition, and from there we just take off. 

The material of Mahler, Verdi, and Debussy are the primary composers of inspiration for this album. Why these three composers?

Those three composers, and more specifically their compositions - Mahler's Das Lied von Der Erde, Debussy’s Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune and the Verdi Requiem - were chosen together with Daniel Kühnel as part of the Hamburg Symphoniker 2025 season

. Each of these orchestral concerts were paired with a jazz ensemble performance of new music that I’ve written together with my partner, James Shipp. 

How did you find the experience of transforming this classical material? Was anything particularly challenging?

I found it full of inspiration and release. I want to stress again that there is not really any adaptation in this work, all the music is completely new and original. The process of composing new music for the GRAVITATION series is one of changing perspectives. Examining different aspects of the original masterpieces, of course the score itself, the text, the emotional path, and the time and background in which they were written. Then it's about taking all of those different aspects, stretching and manipulating my perspective on them, to find our own way in the material now. For example, on the more technical side, I use different techniques to zoom in and out of the score, like taking apart four bars of the Verdi score and turning them into a full ten minutes of music on which the band can then improvise. And then also using the opposite process, taking a large section of a movement and condensing it down. 

In the Verdi for example; a change of perspective led us to compose this new concert as sort of a made-up religious ceremony of devotion and self-reflection. The artistic process, as well as many other actions, is one of devotion. However, there is always a risk of getting too absorbed in one's self importance and thus losing the real aim. By stepping out from time to time, and taking an earnest look at our current state, we can readjust and dive back in deeper each time. 

What do your ensemble bring to this project? 

I always write the music for myself and the band to play it. Everyone in the band is my head when I compose, they ultimately bring this music to life. The concert is full of space for improvisation and each of the band members’ sound and attitude is essential to the final performance. As it was when I first started playing music, my main motivation is still just to play with my friends. 

How was the album recorded, and what effect did this have on the final sound?

This album was recorded live over three different concerts, corresponding to the three original masterpieces. It was actually not planned to come out as an album - the recordings were made for no practical reason other than to capture the moment. Listening back, I found them to be very special and started considering how I could share them. I have over 3 hours of music recorded, but for this release I made a selection of a few pieces from each concert and curated them into an album. Some of my favourite records were recorded live in concert - it gives a certain edge to the performance which I look for. You can hear the musicians interacting, you know there was an audience in the room. It’s exciting. 

What are you most looking forward to sharing with listeners when the album comes out?

I’m just happy to share the music that I love and can really get behind. The album has kind of three faces in my mind, ranging from more groovy to very abstract. I’m curious as to how listeners will appreciate the full spread. 

What’s next for you?

One week after the album comes out, I will be bringing a different band of mine to the Martha Argerich Festival, featuring singer Celia Kameni. This is called the Shakespeare Songbook and it’s music I wrote for the Shakespeare Sonnets. Later in June, I’m recording a new album with my great friend and longtime collaborator Omer Klein, which I’m excited about, and in 2026 I will premier two new GRAVITATION projects paired with music of Dvořák and Mussorgsky. 

GRAVITATIONS presented by XJAZZ Music will be available from Friday 13th June 2025.