Arnett Cobb ...?

[Jules]

anyof oyu folks know much about Arnett Cobb? His name keeps on coming up in the context of other players I like (Jacquet, Webster, the whole 'Texas tenor' thing...) and I'd be interested in getting a recommendation on where to start with an exploration of his work.

 

[Saxlicker]

I'd love to help but all I have to offer is my only real experience with him that at least conjours a picture.

I saw some documentary footage where the tenor sax was being touted as the king of Jazz instruments. Dave Gelly was steering through examples of its versatility by showing players like Ben Webster and Stan Getz back to back. The message was that there is no definative sound for the instrument at least until it started to get taught in colleges. It has the voice of the person whos playing it.
There was some Arnett Cobb footage that I believe was from nebworth in the 80's.
It was shown to emphasise the big earthy texas tenor sound. He took a solo in Sweethearts on parade at 64 years of age that was so full of soulful phrasing and gruff tone as he perched himself up on a pair of crutches.
Gelly returned to Arnett at the end of the documentary and said:

Its not to demise the artistry of Michael Brecker and his contemporarys but since Jazz and the saxophone has been taught in schools and colleges, I can't help feeling something been lost. At least amongst the great tenor players anyway. I leave you now with a final burst of Arnett , not the most subtle of men and by no means the greatest sax player that ever lived........but he speaks with his own voice and thats the point...........AND he never learned how to do THIS at music college!
(Still propped on his crutches, clearly unfit Arnett closes the tune, swallowing virtually all of the mouthpiece in superb phrases he belts it out with hair raising feel as the crowd clap in time. The rest of the band remain silent until conducted to strike the last chord)
He received an incredible standing ovation!

 

[Bobby G]

I've seen a similar clip of a much younger Arnett (presumably, as he's standing) announced in much the same way, which may have been from a Newport Festival as I seem to remember it being outdoors, and again the playing may not have been the most technically proficient but it made up for it with buckets of feel and soul and that big gruff tone. He looked like he was really getting stuck in, too.

Cheers, Bob

 

[frank_johnson]

Hi Nachoman,
His playing was severely disrupted by a car accident and then several bouts of serious illness.
Record recommendation: 1973, Jazz At The Town Hall with Illinois
Jaquet. 1947, his own 6 piece: The Fabulous Apollo Sessions.
(2 great years: I was born in one and got married in the other!!) :laugh:

 

[howell68]

There's a pretty decent album featuring Cobb, Coleman Hawkins, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis under Lockjaw davis's name called I think 'very saxy'.

 

[Saxlicker]

An insight

http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/arnettcobb.html