RadioheadBrisbane will soon be home to a tribute for one of the world’s most successful, beloved rock bands.
Radiohead for Solo Piano II, performed by Berlin-based Australian pianist Josh Cohen, will be held at QPAC on Thursday, 14 May. His live show features unique, fascinating covers drawn from the band’s expansive discography, interpretations that have gone viral on YouTube and amassed millions of views.
Of course, Radiohead are fiercely protective of their reputation, yet they granted Cohen permission to release two official songbooks and perform their songs worldwide. He must be pretty amazing then, right? Check out a video of Cohen performing below.
Combining classical music with jazz, Cohen has a dynamic playing style that elevates the band’s songs—some already containing a glimmer of jazz—to grand new heights. Tickets to Radiohead for Solo Piano II are available now via the QPAC website.
Reviewing his performance, Broadsheet declared, “Cohen’s songbook… the first of its kind officially endorsed by the band… [is] pure Radiohead: subtly orchestral; beautiful but unsettled.”
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In 2019, Cohen released his songbook, Radiohead for Solo Piano, which holds a band-approved selection of improvised and freshly arranged songs from the band’s catalogue. Additionally, the songbook features artwork by Radiohead’s longtime artist, Stanley Donwood.
In 2023, Cohen dropped his debut album of solo piano works, which he called Weird Time Signature. A year later, he released his second band-approved songbook in Radiohead for Solo Piano II, also with artwork by Donwood. Presently, Cohen is crafting his Emergency Piano Hotline, an online tutorial project packed with his Radiohead arrangements.
Discussing his approach to adapting Radiohead songs for his Solo Piano project, Cohen explained, “Over the years, I have subconsciously developed and refined a unique style of playing the piano, which is heavily influenced by my jazz and improvisation training, as well as playing through contemporary songbooks just like this one.
“In a nutshell, this process involves approaching music through a very different lens, as opposed to my classical training, by thinking outside the box and discovering new and creative ways to make my arrangements interesting and engaging.”
He continued, Radiohead’s catalogue lends itself perfectly to this approach, which is why, in my opinion, so many jazz musicians reinterpret their works time and time again.”
In addition to his QPAC concert, Cohen will also perform at the Canberra Theatre Centre on Saturday, 9 May. You can find more details about that show here.
