David Cohen

In addition to providing the food bank with a fundraiser, Cohen provides his audience with an introduction to exotic stringed instruments. The pipa, a pear-shaped instrument that is held upright, is popular in Chinese music, but is seldom played by Western musicians. "It sounds twangy," Cohen said. "Some say it sounds like a Chinese banjo." The oud is a Middle-Eastern stringed instrument that is played in different styles in different regions. "Just like there's Delta blues, Chicago blues and so on," Cohen said, "there is a Lebanese style of oud music, Armenian and Egyptian styles." Cohen specializes in the Turkish style. He also plays Highland bagpipes, an instrument that always intrigued him. As a kid, he said, "I would've loved to have learned it, but Mexican-Jewish children don't play bagpipes." His lack of an ancestral claim to the instrument did not deter his enthusiasm, and Cohen found a welcoming brotherhood at the Belmar branch of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh. Cohen considers Rufus Harley, a jazz bagpiper from Philadelphia, as one of his heroes, because of his unorthodox use of an unexpected instrument. Cohen runs the Web site, philadelphiaclassicalmusic.com, and he interviewed Harley for the site shortly before the jazz musician's death last year. Cohen came to classical music accidentally. "All I ever wanted to do was play guitar like Joan Armatrading," he said. "Someone told me she played like a classical guitarist and that she had bass lines like Bach. So that got me interested in classical guitar." From there, he became interested in the flamenco style, and then in other stringed instruments. As with everything, he said, "the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know." DAVID COHEN Fourth annual benefit concert for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties — 7:30 p.m. Saturday — Ocean Grove Youth Temple, 22 Pilgrim Pathway at McClintock Street — $22 — (732) 774-1391 or www.oceangrov

– KELLY-JANE COTTER Asbury Park Press

Asbury Park Press (Neptune, NJ) January 26, 2007 NOURISHING SOUNDS Author: KELLY-JANE COTTER Author: Asbury Park Press Section: ENT By KELLY-JANE COTTER Music Writer You never know where life will take you, and what hardships might befall you, and who might be there to help you. David Cohen remembers some tough times from his childhood in Philadelphia when a food bank helped his family. "That came rushing back to me because friends of mine told me that when they were first married, they got help from the food bank," Cohen said. "And I was like, "Oh, yeah, the food bank.' I remember seeing someone deliver bags of groceries to us, and what a difference that made. We had been at a point where we were living on broth, and if my mom could get together some money, maybe we'd have eggs." Cohen is not struggling now. He is an accomplished musician who plays classical and flamenco guitar, as well as the Chinese pipa, the Turkish oud and the Highland bagpipes. But he remains a proponent of food banks in general — and a loyal supporter of the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in particular. One day, he called to find out how late the food bank was open so that he could bring a donation. "We're closing in a few minutes," he was told, "but if you're hungry, I'll wait." "I thought that was so touching," Cohen recalled. "She thought I had called because I needed help, and she was willing to wait for me. It amazed me to think there are people out there who are caring like that." Beyond his individual donations, Cohen also has supported the food bank through benefit concerts. His fourth annual concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ocean Grove Youth Temple, 22 Pilgrim Pathway, at the corner of McClintock Street. Suggested donation is $22. For more info, call (732) 774-1391 or go to www.oceangrovefoodbankbenefit.org. In addition to providing the food bank with a fundraiser, Coh

– KELLY-JANE COTTER Asbury Park Press