Arnett Cleophus Cobb (August 10, 1918 – March 24, 1989)
accessed July 2010. was an American tenor saxophonist, sometimes known as the "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax" because of his uninhibited stomping style. Cobb wrote the words and music for the

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive li ...

"Smooth Sailing" (1951), which

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

recorded for

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

on her album ''

Lullabies of Birdland ''Lullabies of Birdland'' is a 1955 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, issued on the Decca Records label. The album features tracks recorded during the late 1940s and early 1950s, that had been previously issued on 78rpm single. MCA Records re-issu ...

''.

Biography

Lionel Hampton and Arnett Cobb, Aquarioum, NYC, ca

Born in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, he was taught to play piano by his grandmother, and he went on to study violin before taking up tenor saxophone in the high school band. At the age of 15 he joined

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

bandleader Frank Davis's band, doing shows in Houston and throughout Louisiana during the summer."Houston's Own, Saxophonist Arnett Cobb"
African American Registry. Cobb continued his musical career with the local bands of trumpeter Chester Boone, from 1934 to 1936, and Milt Larkin, from 1936 to 1942 (which included a period on the West Coast with Floyd Ray). Among his bandmates in the Larkin band were

Illinois Jacquet Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on " Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of ...

Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was a ...

Tom Archia Ernest Alvin Archia, Jr. (November 26, 1919 – January 16, 1977) known as Tom Archia, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Early life Archia was born in Groveton, Texas, moving with his family as a child to Rockdale and then Baytown, ...

Cedric Haywood Cedric Haywood (December 31, 1914 – September 9, 1969) was an American jazz pianist. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Haywood played as a teenager in a high school band with Arnett Cobb. His first professional engagement was with Chester Boon ...

, and

Wild Bill Davis Wild Bill Davis (November 24, 1918 – August 17, 1995) was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. He is best known for his pioneering jazz electric organ recordings and for his tenure with t ...

.Stephen G. Williams and Kharen Monsho
"Cobb, Arnett Cleophus"
Handbook of Texas Online.

Texas State Historical Association The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, on March 2, 1897. , TSHA moved their offices from Austin to the University of ...

. Retrieved 3 July 2013. Having turned down an offer from

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

in 1939, Cobb replaced Jacquet in

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles ...

's band in 1942, staying with Hampton until 1947. Cobb's featured solo on Hampton's theme song " Flying Home No. 2" generated much excitement, his blasting style earning him the label "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax". Cobb then started his own seven-piece band, but suffered a serious illness in 1950, which necessitated

spinal surgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and pe ...

. Although he re-formed the band on his recovery, in 1956 its success was again interrupted, this time by a car crash. This had long-term effects on his health, involving periods in the hospital, and making him permanently reliant on crutches.Biography
AllMusic.com. Accessed August 15, 2022. Nevertheless, Cobb worked as a soloist through the 1970s and 1980s in the U.S. and abroad. As late as 1988 he played with Jimmy Heath and

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

in Europe. He died in his native Houston, aged 70, in 1989.

Discography

* 1943–47: ''The Wild Man of the Tenor Sax, 1943–1947'' (

EPM Musique EPM Musique is a French record label that was created in 1986 by François Dacla, former president of RCA France. The label specializes in Chanson and its legacy. It is also dedicated to poetry, theater, and children's music. "EPM is a French la ...

) * 1946–47: ''The Chronological Arnett Cobb, 1946–1947'' (Classics) * 1947: ''Arnett Blows for 1300'' ( Delmark) 1994 compilation of

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recordings * 1959: ''

Blow Arnett, Blow ''Blow Arnett, Blow'' (also rereleased as ''Go Power!!!'') is an album by saxophonists Arnett Cobb and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded in 1959 for the Prestige label.Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

) also released as ''Go Power!!!'' * 1959: '' Smooth Sailing'' (Prestige) * 1959: '' Party Time'' (Prestige) * 1959: ''

Very Saxy ''Very Saxy'' is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis with Buddy Tate, Coleman Hawkins and Arnett Cobb recorded in 1959 for the Prestige label.Payne, DShirley Scott discography accessed July 6, 2012. Reception ''The Penguin Guide to Jaz ...

'' (Prestige) with

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

and

Buddy Tate George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All A ...

* 1960: '' More Party Time'' (Prestige) * 1960: '' Movin' Right Along'' (Prestige) * 1960: ''

Sizzlin' ''Sizzlin is an album by saxophonist Arnett Cobb recorded in 1960 for the Prestige label. Reception The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars.Ballads by Cobb ''Ballads by Cobb'' is an album by saxophonist Arnett Cobb recorded in 1960 for the Moodsville label.Milt Buckner,

Clarence Brown Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director. Early life Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to Larkin Harry Brown, a cotton manufacturer, and Katherine Ann Brown (née Gaw), Brown moved to Tennessee when he ...

and Michael Silva ( Black & Blue) * 1974: ''Arnett Cobb and Tiny Grimes Quintet, Live in Paris" (Esoldun - INA) * 1974–76: ''The Wild Man from Texas'' (Black & Blue) * 1978: '' Arnett Cobb Is Back'' ( Progressive) * 1978: '' Live at Sandy's!'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...

) * 1980: ''Tenor Abrupt'', at ''(The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions)'' with Guy Lafitte (Black & Blue) * 1981: '' Funky Butt'' (Progressive) * 1982: '' Arnett Cobb Live'' (in Holland) (

Timeless Timeless (or atemporal) or timelessness (or atemporality) may refer to: * Agelessness, the condition of being unaffected by the passage of time * Akal (Sikh term), timelessness in Sikhism * Eternity, timeless existence or infinite duration * Im ...

) * 1984: '' Keep on Pushin''' (

Bee Hive A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus '' Apis'' live and raise their young. Though the word ''beehive'' is commonly used to describe the nest of any bee colony, scientific and professional literature ...

) * 1987: '' Show Time'', with

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

and

Jewel Brown Jewel Brown (born August 30, 1937) is an American jazz and blues singer. In 2013, Brown was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)' category. Discography As leader * '' Show Time'' (Fantasy, 19 ...

(

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

) * 1988: ''Tenor Tribute'' (in Germany), with Jimmy Heath and

(

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

) * 1988: ''Tenor Tribute, Volume 2'' (in Germany), with Jimmy Heath and Joe Henderson (Soul Note) With

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for At ...

* ''

'' (Atlantic, 1957) * ''

Miss Rhythm ''Miss Rhythm'' is an album by vocalist Ruth Brown featuring tracks recorded between 1954 and 1959 and released on the Atlantic label.Buddy Tate George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All A ...

*'' Live at Sandy's'' (Muse, 1978

980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) a ...

With

*'' Live at Sandy's'' (Muse, 1978

981 Year 981 ( CMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events Births * Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi, Arab statesman (d. 1027) * Giovanni Orseolo, Venetian ...

*'' Hold It Right There!'' (Muse, 1978

984 Year 984 ( CMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4-years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II ...

With

Roseanna Vitro Roseanna Elizabeth Vitro (born February 28, 1951) is a jazz singer and teacher from Arkansas. Biography Born Roseanna Elizabeth VitroScott Fredrickson and Gary W. Kennedy.Vitro (Wickliffe), Roseanna" In ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2 ...

* '' Listen Here'' (Texas Rose, 1984)

References

External links

"Houston's Own, Saxophonist Arnett Cobb"
African American Registry.
Arnett Cobbs Last Recorded Performance in Osnabrueck, Germany Ingrid Montgomery-Swinton, ''Go Red Go, Blow Arnett Blow: The life of Arnett Cobb''. Ingrid Montgomery-Swinton, Lizette Cobb
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobb, Arnett 1918 births 1989 deaths Bebop saxophonists Soul-jazz saxophonists Mainstream jazz saxophonists Musicians from Houston Texas blues musicians New York blues musicians Jazz-blues saxophonists Jump blues musicians African-American saxophonists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Prestige Records artists Muse Records artists Place of death missing Apollo Records artists 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Texas 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Black & Blue Records artists HighNote Records artists Timeless Records artists 20th-century African-American musicians