Leonard Cohen Koans is a rich, multi-layered musical celebration of the spirit of enigmatic Canadian icon, Leonard Cohen, and his astonishing 60+ year career spanning literature, art and music. Splicing songs with his poetry and prose, ali & the thieves weave a new pathway into your experience of this glorious Poet of the Holy Sinners.

Part-concert and part-homage, Leonard Cohen Koans is performed by versatile Australian vocalist ali babs and sought after musical director Daryl Wallis, with masterful jazz/blues craftsmen 'the thieves'.

This is Cohen like you've never heard - in turns ethereal, sensuous and wild, the inspired interpretations and epic arrangements of 14 beloved Cohen pieces include his ode to Janis Joplin “Chelsea Hotel #2”, “Sisters of Mercy”, “Anthem” and “If it be your will”, the seductive “Dance me to the end of love”, and his mythic masterpiece “Suzanne”.

In its eighth year of presentation, this 75min narrative concert has hooked audiences from Sydney to New York and Dublin. Now more than ever, with the passing of the legendary and enigmatic Leonard Cohen still so fresh in our hearts, Leonard Cohen Koans re-connects audiences with the live experience of his extraordinary music.

Inspiring, passionate, intimate and sincere, Leonard Cohen Koans gives you another chance to savour the creative spirit with which he so exquisitely courted the world.

Bios

Ali has performed in theatre, children’s theatre, musical theatre, jazz, cabaret, americana and pop productions and concerts. she tours and records as backing vocalist for Canadian artist, jane siberry with Peter Kiesewalter, Kevin Fox and Rebecca Jenkins; and with CurtisJSocial. has appeared at Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, International Leonard Cohen Festival (Dublin), Noosa Long Weekend, Sydney and New York Fringe Festivals, the Sydney Opera House, The Basement, Camelot Lounge, New York’s Joe’s Pub and The Iridium, the DUMBO Archway in Brooklyn

Daryl is composer of music and creator of sound design for theatre, television and film projects. has performed in opera, musical, jazz, theatre productions and in concert at Sydney Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Cabaret Festival, Noosa Long Weekend, and the Sydney and New York Fringe Festivals. Formed The Wallis Trio in 1999 to explore the classic songbooks of jazz, broadway and contemporary song. They have featured in cabaret performances and recordings by Mitchell Butel, Jenny Vuletic, Natalie Gamsu, Fiona Ruth and in its current configuration with ali babs as ali & the thieves, with performances of Leonard Cohen Koans in Sydney, New York  and Dublin, and in The Royal Seed at the Sydney Opera House.

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