Harvey Cohen remembered

Your tribute to Harvey Cohen was wonderful, but it left out a very important part of his life. He was the arranger, conductor and coproducer of "Hanukkah Swings," an album made by two residents of Agoura which is considered to be "ground-breaking" in holiday and Jewish music.

It all started 15 years ago in the shower when I was singing "I have a little dreidel" and in my head I heard the Count Basie Orchestra. All I needed to find was an arranger who could do big band arrangements and could share my vision. After many years of searching, I was singing in Beverly Hills at a concert, and the piano player, whom I had never worked with before, was very good. I asked him if he did big band arrangements and he said that he didn't, but he knew of a guy who might be perfect for the project. The only problem was that he lived "in the middle of nowhere." I asked where that was and he said Agoura!

I told him that I lived in Agoura, and I met Harvey Cohen the next morning at the Agoura Deli for breakfast. It was an instant friendship. I felt like I knew him all my life. It turns out that we worked in the same places with the same people for years and never met each other.

We were in the studio recording a demo a few months later. It then took three years to get a label to sign me, and had it not been for Harvey's incredible arrangements, I don't think anyone would have listened to me and my big band Hanukkah idea. Favored Nations Cool picked up the album and ran with it. The album has been a huge success. It's on iTunes, at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, and has been getting radio airplay on stations around the USA and Europe. We were even on XM this last Hanukkah and now have a "Swingin' Dreidel" ringtone through Sony Music Box.

I already miss Harvey, who became a "soul mate" and great friend. I feel that our meeting was definitely "beshert"--meant to be.

He was in the Temple Beth Haverim High Holiday Choir for two years and played his "Klezmer-style" clarinet at our first Friday Night Love service. He had me premiere "Swingin' Dreidel" and "Hanukkah Candles" at the 2005 Agoura High School's Winter Concert and then put together and led an incredible 18-piece big band at the "Hanukkah Swings! Live" concert at The Canyon club.

He will surely be missed by all who knew and loved him.
Cantor Kenny Ellis
Temple Beth Haverim