AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Arnett Cobb

Artist:Arnett Cobb

Song:Smooth Sailing

Album:The Big Horn: The History of the Honkin' & Screamin' Saxophone

Tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb is best known for his time in Lionel Hampton's band in the 40s. He was known as the Wild Man of the Tenor Sax. Smooth Sailing is his best known composition. Cobb's career was severely derailed by health problems beginning in 1950. He was born Aug. 10, 1918 in Houston. His grandmother taught him to play piano. He also learned to play violin before taking up the tenor sax in his high school band. He played in Frank Davis' band and toured Texas and Louisiana clubs when he was on summer holidays. From 1936 to 1942, he was in bands led by Chester Boone, Milt Larkin and Floyd Ray. He played with musicians like Illinois Jacquet, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and Wild Bill Davis. After turning down a 1939 offer to join the Count Basie band, Cobb replaced Jacquet in Lionel Hampton's band in 1942. With his honking style, Cobb was very similar to Jacquet. So it was a perfect place for him. Cobb played the sax solo on Hampton's signature song Flying Home and that's when he was given the nickname Wild Man of the Tenor Sax. Cobb left Hampton in 1947 and started his own band. He recorded for Apollo and Columbia. Smooth Sailing was Cobb's first Columbia single in 1950. He was billed as Arnett Cobb and his Orchestra with David Page on trumpet, Michael Wood on trombone, Charles Fowlkes on baritone sax, George Rhodes on piano, Walter Buchanan on bass and George Ballard on drums. Smooth Sailing became a hit when Ella Fitzgerald wrote lyrics for it and charted with her 1951 recording. The song is now considered to be a jazz standard. It was around this time that Cobb needed spinal surgery. He returned in 1956 but a 1958 car accident derailed him again. He needed crutches to get around for the rest of his life. Of course he continued to play and he recorded for Prestige and Black & Blue. He toured Europe a lot in the 70s and 80s. But I don't think he ever lived in Europe. Cobb returned to Houston and died on Mar. 24, 1989 at age 70. You can get Cobb's original recording of Smooth Sailing on this 4CD box set of "honking" saxophonists from the British label Proper. Here's Arnett Cobb with Jay McShann on piano, Al Casey on guitar, Roland Lobligeois on bass and Paul Gunther on drums performing Smooth Sailing on French TV 1973.