Ryan Cohan

Ryan Cohan
Ryan Cohan performs in Lafayette, Indiana, 2009.
Background information
Born	(1971-06-06) June 6, 1971 (age 46)
Origin	Chicago, Illinois
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Pianist, composer, arranger
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Motéma Music
Associated acts	Ryan Cohan Quartet, Ryan Cohan Sextet
Website	ryancohan.com

Ryan Cohan (born 6 June 1971) is a jazz pianist and composer. His style is a blend of world rhythms, traditional jazz, and classical.

Cohan's mother, who was a music teacher and classical pianist, introduced him to music from a young age. He could read sheet music by age five and started learning violin at nine. He later switched to piano and, by his sophomore year of high school, knew he wanted his future to be in music.

His pursuit of music took him to DePaul University, where he received a Bachelor of Music in jazz performance, and later to Skidmore College.

In the late 1990s, Cohan wrote and arranged songs for Ramsey Lewis's albums Dance of the Soul and Appassionata, a 2000 album that was named "jazz album of the year" by Billboard Magazine. Additionally, Cohan has worked with Freddie Hubbard, Milt Hinton, Jon Faddis, Joe Locke, Andy Narell, Curtis Fuller, Pat La Barbera, Regina Carter, Nick Brignola, Andy Bey, Kurt Elling, and Michal Urbaniak among others.

In 1996, Ryan recorded his first solo album, Real World, with jazz artists from Chicago and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Cohan's second album, Here and Now, was released in 2001 on Sirocco Music. For this album, Cohan formed the Ryan Cohan Sextet, which featured Bob Sheppard and Geof Bradfield on woodwinds, James Cammack and Lorin Cohen on bass, Tito Carrillo on trumpet, and Dana Hall on drums.