Al Cohn

Alvin Gilbert Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist Zoot Sims.

== Biography == Cohn was born in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to his work as a jazz tenor saxophonist, Cohn was widely respected as an arranger. His work included the Broadway productions of Raisin' and Sophisticated Ladies, and his arrangements of his own compositions were recorded by big bands led by Maynard Ferguson, Gerry Mulligan, Terry Gibbs and Bob Brookmeyer. Cohn also arranged for unreleased Linda Ronstadt recordings from the 1980s. In June, 1972, Cohn appeared on stage with Elvis Presley, as a member of the Joe Malin Orchestra at Madison Square Garden. Cohn died of liver cancer in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania in 1988. Cohn's first wife was singer Marilyn Moore. His son, Joe Cohn, is a jazz guitarist. Granddaughter Shaye Cohn, Joe's daughter, is a musician who plays cornet with her band Tuba Skinny.

== Discography ==

=== As leader/co-leader === Al Cohn's Tones (Savoy, 1950) East Coast-West Coast Scene (RCA Victor, 1954) split album with Shorty Rogers Mr. Music (RCA Victor, 1955) The Natural Seven (RCA Victor, 1955) That Old Feeling (RCA Victor, 1955) Four Brass One Tenor (RCA Victor, 1955) The Brothers! (RCA Victor, 1955) with Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca From A to...Z (RCA Victor, 1956) The Al Cohn/Zoot Sims Sextet The Sax Section (Epic, 1956) Cohn on the Saxophone (Dawn Records, 1956) The Al Cohn Quintet Featuring Bobby Brookmeyer (Coral, 1956) – with Bob Brookmeyer Tenor Conclave (Prestige, 1957) – with John Coltrane, Hank Mobley and Zoot Sims The Four Brothers... Together Again! (Vik, 1957) with Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward Al and Zoot (Coral, 1957) with Zoot Sims Jazz Alive! A Night at the Half Note (United Artists, 1959) with Zoot Sims and Phil Woods You 'n' Me (Mercury, 1960) – the Al Cohn/Zoot Sims Quintet Son of Drum Suite (RCA Victor, 1960) Either Way (Fred Miles Presents, 1961) with Zoot Sims Jazz Mission to Moscow (Colpix, 1962) Al & Zoot in London (World Records Club, 1965) Easy as Pie: Live at the West Bank (Label M, 1968) with Zoot Sims Body and Soul (Muse, 1973) with Zoot Sims Motoring Along (Sonet, 1974) with Zoot Sims Play It Now (Xanadu, 1975) True Blue (Xanadu, 1976) with Dexter Gordon Silver Blue (Xanadu, 1976) with Dexter Gordon Al Cohn's America (Xanadu, 1976) Heavy Love (Xanadu, 1977) with Jimmy Rowles No Problem (Xanadu, 1979) Xanadu in Africa (Xanadu, 1980 [1981]) with Billy Mitchell, Dolo Coker, Leroy Vinnegar and Frank Butler Night Flight to Dakar (Xanadu, 1980 [1982]) with Billy Mitchell, Dolo Coker, Leroy Vinnegar and Frank Butler Nonpareil (Concord, 1981) with Lou Levy, Monty Budwig, Jake Hanna Tour De Force (1981) live in Japan, with tenor players Buddy Tate and Scott Hamilton Standards of Excellence (Concord, 1984) The Claw (Chiaroscuro, 1986) with Flip Philips Rifftide (Timeless, 1987) with Rein de Graaf (piano), Koos Serierse (bass), Eric Ineke (drums)

=== As sideman === With Manny Albam

The Drum Suite (RCA Victor, 1956) with Ernie Wilkins With Mose Allison

Your Mind Is on Vacation (Atlantic, 1976) With Trigger Alpert

Trigger Happy! (Riverside, 1956) also released as East Coast Sounds With George Barnes

Guitars Galore (Mercury, 1961) With Art Blakey

Art Blakey Big Band (Bethlehem, 1957) With Bob Brookmeyer

Bob Brookmeyer featuring Al Cohn (Storyville, 1954) Brookmeyer (Vik, 1956) Kansas City Revisited (United Artists, 1958) Stretching Out (United Artists, 1958) with Zoot Sims Portrait of the Artist (Atlantic, 1960) Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments (Verve, 1961) With Kenny Burrell

Earthy (Prestige, 1957) With Buck Clayton

How Hi the Fi (Columbia, 1954) Jumpin' at the Woodside (Columbia, 1955) With Miles Davis

The Compositions of Al Cohn (Prestige, 1953) Miles Davis and Horns (Prestige, 1956) With Jimmy Giuffre

The Music Man (Atlantic, 1958) With Freddie Green

Mr. Rhythm (RCA Victor, 1955) With Urbie Green

All About Urbie Green and His Big Band (ABC-Paramount, 1956) With Coleman Hawkins

The Hawk in Hi Fi (RCA Victor, 1956) With Woody Herman

The Thundering Herds (Columbia, 1945-1947 [1966]) Keeper Of The Flame (The Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Four Brothers Band) (Capitol, 1948-1949 [1992]) With Quincy Jones

Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury, 1959-65 [1965]) With Jack Kerouac

Blues and Haikus (1960) With Jimmy Knepper

Cunningbird (SteepleChase, 1976) With Mundell Lowe

Satan in High Heels (Charlie Parker, 1961) soundtrack With the Metronome All-Stars

Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956) With Gary McFarland

The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" (Verve, 1962) With Carmen McRae

Birds of a Feather (Decca, 1958) With Gerry Mulligan

The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (World Pacific, 1957) With Joe Newman

All I Wanna Do Is Swing (RCA Victor, 1955) I'm Still Swinging (RCA Victor, 1955) Salute to Satch (RCA Victor, 1956) With Oscar Pettiford

Oscar Pettiford Sextet (Vogue, 1954) With Lalo Schifrin and Bob Brookmeyer

Samba Para Dos (1963, Verve)

=== As arranger === With Maynard Ferguson

Come Blow Your Horn (Cameo, 1963) [1 track] With Astrud Gilberto

Look to the Rainbow (Verve, 1966) With Quincy Jones

The Birth of a Band! (Mercury, 1959) The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones (Mercury, 1959) With Irene Kral

The Band and I (United Artists, 1958) SteveIreneo! (United Artists, 1959) With Gerry Mulligan

Holliday with Mulligan (DRG, 1961 [1980]) with Judy Holliday With Mark Murphy

That's How I Love the Blues! (Riverside, 1962) With Joe Newman

The Happy Cats (Coral, 1957) With Herb Pomeroy

The Band and I (United Artists, 1958) with Irene Kral

== References ==

== External links == Al Cohn recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.