Back in the 1950s, a group of guys in New York were in such demand by local recording studios that they became known informally as “the sax section." This prolific reed section often swapped out players and included Phil Woods, Sam Marowitz, Gene Quill and Hal McKusick (as), Al Cohn, Eddie Wasserman and Zoot Sims (ts) and Sol Schlinger (bar). The constants were Cohn and Sol.
The crack section was the brainchild of Jack Lewis, RCA’s A&R man in California in early ‘50s. When Manny Sachs, head of recording for RCA, told Lewis that he wanted the label to start a jazz line with a stable of guys. Sachs told Jack to go to the East Coast to see what he could put together. Jack wound up starting the Jazz Workshop series for RCA and needed a reed section that could record flawlessly.
In L.A., Lewis went to see Shorty Rogers, who was originally from the Bronx. Lewis asked him, “Who should I see in New York to put together guys for a band?” Shorty told him to look up Al Cohn. “He’ll know,” he said. For the sax section, Al recommended Hal McKusick and Gene Quill on altos, Al Cohn on tenor and Sol Schlinger on baritone. A legendary unit was born.
When I interviewed Sol back in 2011, he said, “I still don’t know how I got in there. When I had some jazz solos, I closed my eyes and prayed. I wasn’t a jazz player. But it worked."
In May 1956, Cohn put together an all-reed session for Epic. The irony was that there were really three sections on the album—and several of the guys played clarinets, flutes, English horn and oboe . The saxophones on Shazam, Solsville, Double Fracture and Tears By Me Out the Heart featured Sam Marowitz and Gene Quill (as) Al Cohn and Eddie Wasserman (ts) and Sol Schlinger (bar). They were backed by a swell rhythm section—John Williams (p) Milt Hinton (b) and Osie Johnson (d). The album was called Al Cohn and the Sax Section.
Don't Worry 'bout Me, Villa Rowboats, Shutout and While My Lady Sleeps featured Romeo Penque, Phil Bodner,Al Cohn, Boomie Richman, Peanuts Hucko and Charlie O'Kane with John Williams (p) Milt Hinton (b) Osie Johnson (d). Go here for the instrumental breakdown. [Photo above of Boomie Richman]
Finally, on Shorty George, The Return of the Redhead, Blues for the High Brow and The Mellow Side included Al Cohn, Eddie Wasserman, Zoot Sims (ts) and Sol Schlinger (bar) with Hank Jones (p), Milt Hinton (b) and Don Lamond (d).
The album's lead-off track, Shazam, is a Cohn backbreaker arranged to sound like Benny Goodman's reeds, with their high-octane, daredevil feel. The song is sort of a cross between Goodman's recordings of Stealin' Apples and Tuesday at Ten. As you'll hear, Cohn's chart was exceptionally tricky, requiring flawless reading and exceptional execution. The first solo is by Cohn, the second by Quill. One can almost hear Sol's lids lock tight.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Al Cohn and the Sax Section (Fresh Sound) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's “Shazam."
For reference, here's Benny Goodman's Stealin' Apples...
And here's Goodman's Tuesday at Ten...
The crack section was the brainchild of Jack Lewis, RCA’s A&R man in California in early ‘50s. When Manny Sachs, head of recording for RCA, told Lewis that he wanted the label to start a jazz line with a stable of guys. Sachs told Jack to go to the East Coast to see what he could put together. Jack wound up starting the Jazz Workshop series for RCA and needed a reed section that could record flawlessly.
In L.A., Lewis went to see Shorty Rogers, who was originally from the Bronx. Lewis asked him, “Who should I see in New York to put together guys for a band?” Shorty told him to look up Al Cohn. “He’ll know,” he said. For the sax section, Al recommended Hal McKusick and Gene Quill on altos, Al Cohn on tenor and Sol Schlinger on baritone. A legendary unit was born.
When I interviewed Sol back in 2011, he said, “I still don’t know how I got in there. When I had some jazz solos, I closed my eyes and prayed. I wasn’t a jazz player. But it worked."
In May 1956, Cohn put together an all-reed session for Epic. The irony was that there were really three sections on the album—and several of the guys played clarinets, flutes, English horn and oboe . The saxophones on Shazam, Solsville, Double Fracture and Tears By Me Out the Heart featured Sam Marowitz and Gene Quill (as) Al Cohn and Eddie Wasserman (ts) and Sol Schlinger (bar). They were backed by a swell rhythm section—John Williams (p) Milt Hinton (b) and Osie Johnson (d). The album was called Al Cohn and the Sax Section.
Don't Worry 'bout Me, Villa Rowboats, Shutout and While My Lady Sleeps featured Romeo Penque, Phil Bodner,Al Cohn, Boomie Richman, Peanuts Hucko and Charlie O'Kane with John Williams (p) Milt Hinton (b) Osie Johnson (d). Go here for the instrumental breakdown. [Photo above of Boomie Richman]
Finally, on Shorty George, The Return of the Redhead, Blues for the High Brow and The Mellow Side included Al Cohn, Eddie Wasserman, Zoot Sims (ts) and Sol Schlinger (bar) with Hank Jones (p), Milt Hinton (b) and Don Lamond (d).
The album's lead-off track, Shazam, is a Cohn backbreaker arranged to sound like Benny Goodman's reeds, with their high-octane, daredevil feel. The song is sort of a cross between Goodman's recordings of Stealin' Apples and Tuesday at Ten. As you'll hear, Cohn's chart was exceptionally tricky, requiring flawless reading and exceptional execution. The first solo is by Cohn, the second by Quill. One can almost hear Sol's lids lock tight.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Al Cohn and the Sax Section (Fresh Sound) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's “Shazam."
For reference, here's Benny Goodman's Stealin' Apples...
And here's Goodman's Tuesday at Ten...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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