Son-of-a-Weizen Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 Been spinning 'Al & Zoot' (Coral 20-bit) over lunch and realized that this is the only Cohn disc in the collection. Not only are the tunes great...but it seems like an exceptionally warm, rich, buttery soft sounding cd. Anything else out there that I might want to make a play for? Thanks. Quote
ghost of miles Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 I'm curious as well. Just ordered You 'n Me to fulfill my BMG obligation... it was "Buy 1, get 3 free," so I thought I'd take a chance on Al & Zoot. Quote
John L Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 Al Cohn has a really dynamite series of recordings on Xanadu records with Barry Harris or Jimmy Rowles on piano. The cream of the crop might actually be the duets with Jimmy Rowles: "Heavy Love." But the others are also superb. You may have a hard time finding this stuff commerically, but last time I looked all of it could be downloaded from E-music. Quote
John L Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 Jim S and I posted almost simultaneously. It makes me feel good about my taste when it coincides with Jim's. Quote
J.A.W. Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 (edited) A few of my Cohn favorites: Play It Now - Xanadu (1975 recordings with Barry Harris on piano, Larry Ridley on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums) Al Cohn's America - Xanadu (1976 recordings with Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Leroy Wiliams on drums) Heavy Love - Xanadu (1977 duets with Jimmy Rowles on piano) No Problem - Xanadu (1979 recordings with Barry Harris on piano, Steve Gilmore on bass, and Walter Bolden on drums). Non Pareil - Concord (1981 recordings with Lou Levy on piano, Monte Budwig on bass, and Jake Hanna on drums) You might also want to check out Cohn's 1950s albums on RCA, in Basie-like settings: half of East Coast-West Coast Scene (1954 big-band recordings) Mr Music (1954 big-band recordings) The Natural Seven (1955 septet recordings) Four Brass, One Tenor (1955 nonet / septet recordings) The Brothers (1955 septet recordings) I'm not too fond of his two-tenor recordings with Zoot Sims, so I will not comment on those. Edited February 28, 2004 by J.A.W. Quote
JSngry Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 It makes me feel good about my taste when it coincides with Jim's. Same here! Quote
Larry Kart Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 The Xanadus are excellent, as are all or most of the Concords I know (including one gem under painist Ross Tompkins' name). I think Al became an even better player around Xanadu time than he had been before, especially rhythmically, perhaps because he cut back a good bit on his arranging work. I heard him a lot live in Chicago from the late '70s till his death, and he was in great form every time. I particularly remember gigs that paired him with Lee Konitz, with Clark Terry, and with Allen Eager, and one with Zoot where he almost pulled his old friend up to his level. (I'm one of those people -- maybe I'm the only one -- who thinks that Zoot was at his peak in 1956 and was often on automatic pilot from then on.) Quote
Larry Kart Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 P.S. An excellent but fairly obscure Al record from 1956 (never on CD AFAIK, unless Fresh Sounds got to it), is the Al Cohn Quintet on Coral, with Brookmeyer, Mose Allison, Teddy Kotick, and Nick Stabulus. Stabulus' neo-Blakey approach, coupled with Kotick's great, Pettiford-like time and notes, really makes this one get up and walk. Quote
brownie Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 The RCA, Coral, Xanadu and Concord have all been recommended and with good reasons. Most of the RCA albums have been reissued by Fresh Sounds. Note that the 'That Old Feeling' album is one of those 'with strings' one. But I like it. Love almost anything with Cohn. One of the most consistantly inspired player. Missing from the Xanadu list is a second quartet date with Barry Harris, Larry Ridley and Alan Dawson 'Play It Now'. Excellent, too. I'm a fan of the Cohn/Sims association. Highly recommended is 'Either Way'. I have the Zim LP but it's been reissued on another label. Cohn and Sims (plus Richie Kamuca) are on several sides from a Philology CD 'Directly from the Half Note' with more sides featuring Cohn and Phil Woods. Cohn, Sims and Woods are also on the 'Night at the Half Note' UA album that was reissued a couple of years ago. Both albums are superb! Don't think the Coral album with Brookmeyer that Larry Kart mentioned has been reissued. Another great LP. Quote
J.A.W. Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 (edited) Forgot the Play It Now session; added it to my list. The Coral date is a good one. Edited February 29, 2004 by J.A.W. Quote
JSngry Posted February 29, 2004 Report Posted February 29, 2004 Can't forget this one! Seems like the 1949 session w/Getz, Zoot, & Brew Moore is the more "famous", but for my money, the 1952 date w/Zoot, Kai Winding, George Wallington, Percy Heath, & Art Blakey (it's hard to imagine putting a rhythm section like that together today, and not just because 2/3 of them are dead) is infintiely more satisfying. One of my favorite albums of the "Brothers" ilk. Quote
brownie Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 And how about the 'Tenor Conclave' session for Prestige with Cohn, Zoot, Mobley and Coltrane. Where all four saxophonists did not bother to outplay each other and just made great music. Quote
king ubu Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 And how about the 'Tenor Conclave' session for Prestige with Cohn, Zoot, Mobley and Coltrane. Where all four saxophonists did not bother to outplay each other and just made great music. I love that one! Was my latest Coltrane acquisition, by the way. Otherwise, I have only a few of the albums mentioned so far. I can recommend any by Cohn/Sims (Either Way is fine, indeed!, You'n'me, too, also the one reissued on Blue Note with Phil Woods added). Cohn makes a fine appearance on the Vogue Oscar Pettiford album: A very good album, but it's OOP now. Kai Winding, Tal Farlow, Max Roach... Similar stuff on "The Birdlanders", reissued by Fantasy. This one here's another with Cohn (as "Ike Horowitz") I like very much: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=At1ae4jo71wal ubu Quote
king ubu Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Actually vol. 2 of "The Birdlanders" does include the Pettiford date: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Aejud6j8171y0 The Vogue disc has some alternates, but otherwise everything seems to be there. ubu Quote
BruceH Posted March 2, 2004 Report Posted March 2, 2004 Can't forget this one! Seems like the 1949 session w/Getz, Zoot, & Brew Moore is the more "famous", but for my money, the 1952 date w/Zoot, Kai Winding, George Wallington, Percy Heath, & Art Blakey (it's hard to imagine putting a rhythm section like that together today, and not just because 2/3 of them are dead) is infintiely more satisfying. One of my favorite albums of the "Brothers" ilk. Gotta give my this album as well. Quote
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted March 2, 2004 Author Report Posted March 2, 2004 Appreciate all the suggestions. Went ahead and downloaded some of the Xanadus, two of which ('No Problem' and 'Play it Now') sound great. Not so sure about the 'Night Flight to Dakar' just yet. Blues Up and Down is for sure a good 'get-the-juices-flowing' tune, but that business of Dolo Coker slamming down on the keys a few times too many starts to grate on the nerves (if that's what he's actually doing?). On the whole, a nice collection of lps. If pressed, I'd probably give the edge to 'No Problem' with the most enjoyable Three Little Words and Mood Indigo. I'll be on the lookout for some of the other titles that you folks listed. Quote
Clunky Posted March 2, 2004 Report Posted March 2, 2004 I have really enjoyed the Zoot and Al I've heard- "You N Me" and "Live at the Half Note". Also interesting is "Cohn Tones" (savoy) from 1950/53. The early session is rather agricultural sound wise but the latter session has Horace Silver ripping it to excellent effect. Quote
JSngry Posted March 2, 2004 Report Posted March 2, 2004 Appreciate all the suggestions. Went ahead and downloaded some of the Xanadus, two of which ('No Problem' and 'Play it Now') sound great. Not so sure about the 'Night Flight to Dakar' just yet. Blues Up and Down is for sure a good 'get-the-juices-flowing' tune, but that business of Dolo Coker slamming down on the keys a few times too many starts to grate on the nerves (if that's what he's actually doing?). Did they have AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL available for download? That & the duets w/Rowles are my favorite Xanadus. Quote
brownie Posted March 2, 2004 Report Posted March 2, 2004 A marvelous Xanadu with Al Cohn is Earl Coleman's 'A Song For You'. Cohn plays only on half of the eight tunes but does a magnificient job of it. There is even a version of 'Dark Shadows', different from the Dial side with Charlie Parker. Cohn is also brilliant on the title tune and on 'The Very Thought of You'. The four other tracks without Cohn have just Coleman and the rhythm section (Hank Jones, George Duvivier, Leroy Williams). I must be in a minority but I love Earl Coleman! Great underrated singer... Quote
Late Posted February 10, 2007 Report Posted February 10, 2007 This is simply some of the best jazz from the 70's ... or any decade. One of the tracks here even has a tenor/drums duet that, for Cohn, begins to flirt with Coltraneology. Engaging stuff. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the music here, however, is Cohn's amazing sound and confident phrasing. It's perfect music for driving, perfect music for cooking ... and perfect music for uninterrupted, undistracted listening. Many s. (Notice that Barry signed all the albums above!) Quote
Late Posted February 11, 2007 Report Posted February 11, 2007 On "Night and Day" from Al Cohn's America, Cohn sounds like Von Freeman! It's freaking me out. (In a good way.) Quote
Clunky Posted February 11, 2007 Report Posted February 11, 2007 (edited) This is simply some of the best jazz from the 70's ... or any decade. One of the tracks here even has a tenor/drums duet that, for Cohn, begins to flirt with Coltraneology. Engaging stuff. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the music here, however, is Cohn's amazing sound and confident phrasing. It's perfect music for driving, perfect music for cooking ... and perfect music for uninterrupted, undistracted listening. Many s. (Notice that Barry signed all the albums above!) These Xanadu's have a much harder edge than his earlier material , all excellent. Edited February 11, 2007 by Clunky Quote
Peter Friedman Posted February 11, 2007 Report Posted February 11, 2007 (edited) The Al Cohn on Coral was reissued on CD in Japan. There are some othe things with Al Cohn on Xanadu that were not mentioned. Especially interesting is this CD reissue I have: DEXTER GORDON/AL COHN - TRUE BLUE. The rhythm section includes Barry Harris, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. Blue Mitchell and Sam Noto are on some of the tracks. There is one track where Dexter and Al play "On The Trail" without the rhythm section. Al Cohn is a very big favorite of mine. Here are a number of other very good CDs I have by Al that I don't recall anyone mentioning in this thread. Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - Motoring Along - Sonet Al Cohn - In Concert - IAJRC Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - Live At The Left bank - Label M Al Cohn - Skylark - Live At e.j's Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - Body & Soul - Muse Al Cohn Meets Al Porcino - Red Baron Al Cohn Meets The Jazz Seven - Keeper Of The Flame - Ronnie Scott's Jazz House Al Cohn - Rifftide - Timeless Xanadu At Montreux - Al Cohn/Barry Harris - Xanadu EPM Edited February 11, 2007 by Peter Friedman Quote
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