Arnett Cobb - Blues & Ballads

2013 CD release. 2 albums on 1CD.

Tenor man Arnett Cobb, became known in the 40s for his honking, stomping and general full-bodied, expansive style displayed with Lionel Hamptons band and his own group on the kind of business that Louis Jordan had covered for so long. The 1960 recordings gathered here brought to the fore the hushed, boastful tone and good taste, along with the swinging debt to Coleman Hawkins, obvious throughout though it must be admitted that Cobb is very much his own man, with a fully assimilated, personal style.

In these two albums Sizzlin and Ballads hes in assertively rhythmic company, riding easily on the up and mid tempo tunes with his warm and vibrant approach and his rough, tweedy tone. In his quiet moments, playing blues or ballads most of the tunes on this set Cobb manages to expose his music by talking with his horn in a highly suggestive manner. Cobbs quartet plays with force, directness, honesty and conviction, and Garlands piano is effective in his accompanying role, and particularly touching and sensitive in his solo work. Red and drummer J.C. Heard, with George Tucker and George Duvivier sharing the bass duties complete the made-to-measure rhythm sections. The music is well-made, swinging, sensitive, unpretentious, accessible and, above all, rooted in the common experience of the musicians involved.