| Al Cohn | |
|---|---|
Al Cohn at the Village Jazz Lounge (L.Kolb) |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alvin Gilbert Cohn |
| Born | November 24, 1925 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Died | February 15, 1988 (aged 62) Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genres | Big band West coast jazz |
| Occupations | Composer, bandleader, saxophonist |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone |
| Years active | 1940s–1980s |
| Labels | Coral Records, Mercury Records |
| Associated acts | Woody Herman, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz |
Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988)[1] was an American jazz saxophonist and arranger and composer.
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Alvin Gilbert Cohn was born in Brooklyn, New York.[1] He was initially known in the 1940s for playing in Woody Herman's Second Herd as one of the Four Brothers, along with Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, and Serge Chaloff. Unlike the better known tenors Sims and Getz, Cohn contributed arrangements to the Herman band. Cohn had a reputation as a lyrical flowing soloist.
After leaving the Herman group Cohn went on to play with a variety of other musicians, but his best-known association was his long-term partnership with fellow Herman veteran tenor player Sims, beginning with the quintet they co-led in 1956. They continued to play together sporadically until the death of Sims. The high point of their recorded output can be found on You 'n' Me, a collection of standards and original compositions released on Mercury Records in 1960. The two also played on some of author Jack Kerouac's recordings. The rhythm section on their 1950s recordings included Mose Allison on piano.
In addition to his work as a jazz tenor saxophonist, Cohn was an arranger. His work included the Broadway productions of Raisin' and Sophisticated Ladies. Also, Cohn did arrangements for unreleased Linda Rondstadt recordings from the 1980s.[2]
Cohn also appeared on stage with Elvis Presley in June, 1972, as a member of the Joe Malin Orchestra at Madison Square Garden.
Cohn's first wife was the singer Marilyn Moore. His son, Joe Cohn is a jazz guitar player. Cohn died in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania in 1988.[1]
With Zoot Sims