Leonard Cohen

Since the 1967 release of Songs of Leonard Cohen, this widely admired songwriter has become synonymous with the concept of cool like few others since Miles Davis. More a prolific poet than jazz/folk songwriter, Cohen's inimitable voice really does sound like it's coming from someone who understands the rough times...

By Tom Murphy

May 28, 2009

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Since the 1967 release of Songs of Leonard Cohen, this widely admired songwriter has become synonymous with the concept of cool like few others since Miles Davis. More a prolific poet than jazz/folk songwriter, Cohen's inimitable voice really does sound like it's coming from someone who understands the rough times you're experiencing. Whether that's dealing with the complexities of love and relationships or the moments of deep isolation and psychic anguish experienced by any thoughtful, sensitive, creative person, Cohen always seems to have just the right turn of phrase to articulate what you often can't yourself. And yet he isn't without a sense of humor in even his bleakest material, including "Everybody Knows," which contains a few chuckle-worthy observations. In the end, Cohen's music is compassionate, uplifting and timeless.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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