Al Cohn/Zoot Sims

[Larry Kart]

A while ago I posted that Dan Morgenstern once told me that two specific Prez solos with Basie served Zoot and Al as models for their respective styles. I recalled that one of them was "Blow Top," but couldn't remember the other, nor could I remember for sure  which Prez solo inspired each man, though I thought that Prez's "Blow Top" solo was rather Zoot like. Dan has now weighed in: "Blow Top" = Zoot; "Pound Cake = Al. The resemblances are pretty striking.

[Gheorghe]

At first hearing and still an unexperienced  listener it was hard for me to tell who actually plays a solo. 
I have Miles and Horns, which has both of them added, mostly Al Cohn compositions.
And I have something like a Tenor Conclave on Prestige, with Trane, Mobley and them both.
I think at some point it was easier to identify each of them by close listening. 
In my opinion Al Cohn has more the tendence to bend notes and play in a more "singing" mode, while Zoot Sims sounds a little more "boppish", it seems that he had some more Bird also in his playing. 
They all sound fine to me, As much as Brew Moore or Allen Eager, and Stan Getz maybe was the most individual, most constant and most flexible and most famous of them.

I would have liked to hear some more Lester Young with so called "modern" rhythm sections like one on Musidisc I think from the Roost which has Roy Haynes on it. I wonder how he would have sounded in the 50´s with some rhythm section like Red Garland, Paul Chambers , Philly J.J. or Art Taylor. Lester might have sounded good also with a 40´s rhythm section like Al Haig or John Lewis, Tommy Potter and Max Roach I think.....

[danasgoodstuff]

I have some Al & Zoot, both together and separately, but I've never got that far into the weeds.  Don't doubt they both studied Lester very closely and there's plenty there to support any number of different approaches.  Plenty in each of Al & Zoot to merit close attention too.

[JSngry]

I got a new look at the roots of Al on that Henry Jerome airshot. Wonderful stuff!

[Peter Friedman]

In their early years I found Zoot to swing a bit more than Al, but that Al was slightly more creative in his solos. The difference though between them was slight.

Over time I found the differences between them became more apparent partially because the sound of each of them deepened and took on a less Prez type sound and had a more unique character. Al's sound became more in the vein of a Jewish cantor. It had a wailing quality that made it identifiable for me. Zoot's sound also became a bit  deeper.

Though some here will disagree, to my ears Zoot's solos became more interesting in his Pablo years.  He still swung hard, but with a bit more creative depth.

It was easier for me to identify the difference between them in their later years than in their earlier period. 

 

[HutchFan]

14 minutes ago, Peter Friedman said:

Though some here will disagree, to my ears Zoot's solos became more interesting in his Pablo years. 

I agree. All those records with Jimmy Rowles are primo Zoot!

I think Cohn's most consistently interesting records are the Xanadu's -- most especially Play It Now and Heavy Love (Rowles again!).

 

[Gheorghe]

11 hours ago, HutchFan said:

I agree. All those records with Jimmy Rowles are primo Zoot!

I think Cohn's most consistently interesting records are the Xanadu's -- most especially Play It Now and Heavy Love (Rowles again!).

 

I never heard Zoot live and might admit, that during the time, where most of the musicians discussed here still lived and were active on the scene, Zoot or Al would not have been my main interest or in general among players of any instruments over here in Austria. Trane was the thing even long after his death, and Rollins was a model for budding tenorplayers...., and I also fear that Zoot was only a smaller amount on Pablo, who had the "big heads" Oscar Peterson, Ella, Trumpet Battles and so on. 
On the other hand I saw Al Cohn live when he maybe was under contract by Concord. Well Concord was another kind of thing, also very much based on then contemporanous mainstream - swing. Xanadu was much better, but I think I only have one record where Dexter is combined with maybe Al Cohn or Zoot Sims and maybe a rhythm section around Barry Harris I suppose.....
The Al Cohn I saw and heard sounded very much like he always sounded and as @Peter Friedman describes it as in the vein of a Jewish Cantor. But on that settling Al Cohn was combined with Scott Hamilton and Buddy Tate and I must say I listened more to Cohn and to Buddy Tate  than to Hamilton for some reasons and still would do so. Actually that was a Woody Herman Allstar Gathering, the only time I saw Woddy Herman with a small format (well I think it was a septet). Nothing special or exiting musically speaking, but fun.....

And as I said, the first Al Cohn - Zoot Sims I heard was that "Miles and Horns" Session which is more Al Cohn (who composed all tunes). They sound nice but remained a curiosity in my few Miles albums I had then .....,