Alvin Gilbert Cohn was born on November 24, 1925, and died on February 15, 1988. He was an American jazz musician who played the saxophone, arranged music, and wrote musical compositions. He became well-known for his work in the band led by clarinetist Woody Herman. He also worked closely with saxophonist Zoot Sims for many years.

Biography

Cohn was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Besides his work as a jazz tenor saxophonist, Cohn was known for arranging music. He worked on Broadway productions, including Raisin' and Sophisticated Ladies. His arrangements of his own compositions were recorded by big bands led by Maynard Ferguson, Gerry Mulligan, Terry Gibbs, and Bob Brookmeyer. Cohn also arranged music for some of Linda Ronstadt’s recordings from the 1980s, though those recordings were never released.

In June 1972, Cohn performed on stage with Elvis Presley as part of the Joe Malin Orchestra at Madison Square Garden.

Cohn died of liver cancer in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1988.

Cohn’s first wife was singer Marilyn Moore. His son, Joe Cohn, is a jazz guitarist. His granddaughter, Shaye Cohn, is a musician who plays cornet with her band, Tuba Skinny.

Discography

• Al Cohn's Tones (Savoy Records, 1950)
• East Coast-West Coast Scene (RCA Victor, 1954) split album with Shorty Rogers
• Mr. Music (RCA Victor, 1955)
• The Natural Seven (RCA Victor, 1955)
• That Old Feeling (RCA Victor, 1955)
• Four Brass One Tenor (RCA Victor, 1955)
• The Brothers! (RCA Victor, 1955) with Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca
• From A to…Z (RCA Victor, 1956) The Al Cohn/ Zoot Sims Sextet
• The Sax Section (Epic Records, 1956)
• Cohn on the Saxophone (Dawn Records, 1956)
• The Al Cohn Quintet Featuring Bobby Brookmeyer (Coral Records, 1956) – with Bob Brookmeyer
• Tenor Conclave (Prestige Records, 1957) – with John Coltrane, Hank Mobley and Zoot Sims
• The Four Brothers… Together Again! (Vik Records, 1957) with Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward
• Al and Zoot (Coral Records, 1957) with Zoot Sims
• Jazz Alive! A Night at the Half Note (United Artists, 1959) with Zoot Sims and Phil Woods
• You 'n' Me (Mercury Records, 1960) – the Al Cohn/Zoot Sims Quintet
• Son of Drum Suite (RCA Victor, 1960)
• Either Way (Fred Miles Presents, 1961) with Zoot Sims
• Jazz Mission to Moscow (Colpix Records, 1962)
• Al & Zoot in London (World Records Club, 1965)
• Easy as Pie: Live at the West Bank (Label M, 1968) with Zoot Sims
• Body and Soul (Muse Records, 1973) with Zoot Sims
• Motoring Along (Sonet Records, 1974) with Zoot Sims
• Play It Now (Xanadu Records, 1975)
• True Blue (Xanadu Records, 1976) with Dexter Gordon
• Silver Blue (Xanadu Records, 1976) with Dexter Gordon
• Al Cohn's America (Xanadu Records, 1976)
• Heavy Love (Xanadu Records, 1977) with Jimmy Rowles
• No Problem (Xanadu Records, 1979)
• Xanadu in Africa (Xanadu Records, 1980 [1981]) with Billy Mitchell, Dolo Coker, Leroy Vinnegar and Frank Butler
• Night Flight to Dakar (Xanadu Records, 1980 [1982]) with Billy Mitchell, Dolo Coker, Leroy Vinnegar and Frank Butler
• Nonpareil (Concord Records, 1981) with Lou Levy, Monty Budwig, Jake Hanna
• Tour De Force (1981) live in Japan, with tenor players Buddy Tate and Scott Hamilton
• Standards of Excellence (Concord Records, 1984)
• The Claw (Chiaroscuro Records, 1986) with Flip Philips
• Rifftide (Timeless Records, 1987) with Rein de Graaf (piano), Koos Serierse (bass), Eric Ineke (drums)

• The Drum Suite (RCA Victor, 1956) with Ernie Wilkins

• Your Mind Is on Vacation (Atlantic Records, 1976)

• Trigger Happy! (Riverside Records, 1956) also released as East Coast Sounds

• Guitars Galore (Mercury Records, 1961)

• Art Blakey Big Band (Bethlehem Records, 1957)

• Bob Brookmeyer featuring Al Cohn (Storyville Records, 1954)
• Brookmeyer (Vik Records, 1956)
• Kansas City Revisited (United Artists, 1958)
• Stretching Out (United Artists, 1958) with Zoot Sims
• Portrait of the Artist (Atlantic Records, 1960)
• Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments (Verve Records, 1961)

• Earthy (Prestige Records, 1957)

• How Hi the Fi (Columbia Records, 1954)
• Jumpin' at the Woodside (Columbia Records, 1955)

• The Compositions of Al Cohn (Prestige Records, 1953)
• Miles Davis and Horns (Prestige Records, 1956)

• The Music Man (Atlantic Records, 1958)

• Mr. Rhythm (RCA Victor, 1955)

• All About Urbie Green and His Big Band (ABC-Paramount, 1956)

• The Hawk in Hi Fi (RCA Victor, 1956)

• The Thundering Herds (Columbia Records, 1945-1947 [1966])
• Keeper Of The Flame (The Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Four Brothers Band) (Capitol Records, 1948-1949 [1992])

• Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury Records, 1959-65 [1965])

• Blues and Haikus (1960)

• Cunningbird (SteepleChase Records, 1976)

• Satan in High Heels (Charlie Parker, 1961) soundtrack

With the Metronome All-Stars

• Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef Records, 1956)

• The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" (Verve Records, 1962)

• Birds of a Feather (Decca Records, 1958)

• The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (World Pacific Records, 1957)

• All I Wanna Do Is Swing (RCA Victor, 1955)
• I'm Still Swinging (RCA Victor, 1955)
• Salute to Satch (RCA Victor