Al Cohn (1925-1988)

Biography

Alvin Gilbert Cohn was born in Brooklyn and played tenor saxophone and arranged for several big bands including those of Alvino Rey, Buddy Rich, and Woody Herman. Cohn was a member of Herman’s “Four Brothers” saxophone section and contributed important arrangements. He later worked primarily in small groups, often with Zoot Sims, while continuing to arrange for big bands and singers. Cohn was equally respected as player and arranger, and his tenor saxophone style epitomized the cool, swinging approach of the best New York jazz musicians. He remained active until his death from liver cancer.

Musical Style

Cohn’s arranging style reflected his playing—relaxed, swinging, and rooted in the mainstream jazz tradition. His arrangements never drew attention to themselves but served the music and musicians perfectly. Cohn had a gift for writing arrangements that sounded spontaneous and loose while being carefully crafted. His voicings were warm and full, particularly for saxophone sections. Cohn understood how to feature soloists, writing backgrounds that supported without interfering. His style balanced composition and improvisation perfectly. Cohn’s arrangements were models of taste and restraint—he never overarranged or used unnecessary complexity. His work represented the highest level of professional craftsmanship without flash or ego.

Orchestration Techniques

Cohn’s saxophone section writing exemplifies the close-position cluster voicing approach that defined the Four Brothers sound, typically employing four-way close harmony in the middle registers of the tenor saxophone family. His soli passages favor parallel motion in thirds and sixths with occasional chromatic approach tones, creating a homophonic texture that maintains rhythmic unanimity while preserving melodic clarity. Cohn characteristically employs drop-2 voicings when expanding beyond four parts, particularly when adding baritone saxophone to create a broader harmonic spread without sacrificing the warmth of close voicings. His brass writing tends toward sustained pad voicings underneath saxophone soli, often utilizing cup mutes to blend timbres and reduce dynamic interference. Contrapuntally, Cohn favors simple two-voice counterpoint with the rhythm section providing harmonic foundation, rarely employing complex polyphonic textures that might obscure the melodic line. His background figures typically consist of sustained whole notes or simple rhythmic punctuations on beats two and four, avoiding busy countermelodies that compete with soloists. Register deployment is notably conservative, keeping saxophones in their most resonant middle range (written D4 to D5 for tenors) to maximize blend and projection. Rhythmic notation in his charts emphasizes swing eighth notes with minimal syncopation in ensemble passages, allowing the natural swing feel to emerge from the section rather than forcing rhythmic complexity. Dynamic architecture follows a gradual arc structure, with subtle crescendos leading to climactic ensemble moments before returning to supportive backgrounds. His signature technique involves unison saxophone lines doubled at the octave by guitar or piano, creating a reinforced melodic statement that sounds spontaneous despite careful orchestration.

Top Albums

Woody Herman - “The Second Herd” (1948-1949, Cohn arrangements)

Cohn’s arrangements for Herman including “The Goof and I” demonstrate his early style. His charts for the “Four Brothers” sax section helped define that famous sound—four tenors playing in close harmony. What makes Cohn’s arrangements special is their perfect balance between written material and solo space. His understanding of saxophone section writing came from his own playing, giving his arrangements authentic feeling. These charts influenced all subsequent saxophone section writing.

Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - “Body and Soul” (1973)

While primarily a blowing session, this album includes Cohn’s arrangement concepts applied to quintet format. His approach to harmonic backgrounds and accompaniment patterns demonstrates his arranging thinking in simpler contexts. What’s interesting is hearing how Cohn’s arranging philosophy—serve the music and musicians—translated to small group jazz. The arrangements are minimal but perfectly judged, never interfering with the soloists.

Al Cohn - “Nonpareil” (1982)

Leading his own nonet, Cohn’s arrangements showcase his mature style. His charts are relaxed and swinging, featuring warm voicings and plenty of space for solos. What makes these arrangements notable is their modesty—Cohn wasn’t trying to impress but simply create good music. His arrangement of “Speak Low” demonstrates his gift for reimagining standards with subtle harmonic tweaks that refresh without distorting. The album represents professional mainstream jazz arranging at its finest.