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And by the way he sounds absolutely incredible IMO. There is such an authenticity, and real alpha state to his playing, he has all the chops he needs to express himself perfectly.
What MP is Al Cohn using here?
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And by the way he sounds absolutely incredible IMO. There is such an authenticity, and real alpha state to his playing, he has all the chops he needs to express himself perfectly.
Really really hard to see, but my best guess is a hard rubber Berg. Here's another thread with the same question and a few different answers:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?224726-Al-Cohn-late-setup-1985
As an aside, if you've never heard his granddaughter Shaye, check her out in Tuba Skinny. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?224726-Al-Cohn-late-setup-1985
As an aside, if you've never heard his granddaughter Shaye, check her out in Tuba Skinny. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
LateNightSax, I am guessing hard rubber Berg. Funny thing is, I saw Al play live many times in the 70's in a small jazz club in North Jersey. He was a regular there along with Zoot Sims. And that guy in your avatar photo, I was lucky to see him (Rahassan) in that same club. They had many greats there , I was young at the time but got to experience these guys live , nothing like it.
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It is definitely not a Berg. Bergs are pretty squared off between the body and shank, and this piece tapers from the body into the shank. It is quite similar in shape to a Selmer S80, but I'm sure that's not what it is. My best guess would be Brilhart Personaline, although it looks a bit more elongated than that, but maybe it's just the angle I was seeing it at. Other vintage mouthpieces that are that shape are some of the Gregory/Gale and Simpson pieces, but they are stubbier still than the Personaline. There were some Vandoren jazz pieces from the 70's that were that shape, but longer and slimmer...could be that, but seems rather unlikely.
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Based on what I hear, I believe it is a high baffle MP. My best guess is Brilhart levelair hard rubber.
To me it’s so interesting how IMO his tone is not so great, but he has his own magic and just transcends the saxophone and his tone and just the ultimate result is so beautiful, and he really taps into cosmic energy flow. A truly original voice.
To me it’s so interesting how IMO his tone is not so great, but he has his own magic and just transcends the saxophone and his tone and just the ultimate result is so beautiful, and he really taps into cosmic energy flow. A truly original voice.
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I'm not sure what mouthpiece Al uses in that clip, but he sounds great. I think our member Liam will know, he is a lot into Al Cohn. If I remember well it's an HR RIA from Italy.
I've actually seen Al Cohn and the Dutch trio of Rein de Graaff here in NL in the late 80's. Al is by far my favourite tenor player from that Woody Herman school.
Check out the album called 'Rifftide' he recorded with Rein in 1987. Here is an example clip called 'Speak Low':
I've actually seen Al Cohn and the Dutch trio of Rein de Graaff here in NL in the late 80's. Al is by far my favourite tenor player from that Woody Herman school.
Check out the album called 'Rifftide' he recorded with Rein in 1987. Here is an example clip called 'Speak Low':
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I heard Al Cohn and Zoot Sims at the Wichita Jazz festival at least three seperate times. The sound in the youtube recording is not representative of what Al sounded like. It sounds like the engineer has eq'd the low end out of his horn. He had a very rich, dark tone, not a bright sound like on this recording. It must be a 'board' recording, where the sound guy is tailoring the sound for the room.
The recording mrpeebee references is much more like he really sounded, regardless of the mouthpiece.
The recording mrpeebee references is much more like he really sounded, regardless of the mouthpiece.
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Holy Moly OMG he sounds A-MAYZINGGG! So refreshing to hear someone really play true alpha state jazz, a reflection of a long lifetime of reaching for the sweetest hottest and coolest notes, not trying to prove anything. Thanks!!
It's a Frank Wells tenor mouthpiece.
There's been a couple of threads about this in the past:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?275642-Al-Cohn-Playing-a-Personaline
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?224726-Al-Cohn-late-setup-1985
There's been a couple of threads about this in the past:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?275642-Al-Cohn-Playing-a-Personaline
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?224726-Al-Cohn-late-setup-1985
When I heard him live in the 70's in a medium sized jazz bar, he had a sound that filled the room with no mic. He was playing mainly with an acoustic quartet (piano, upright bass and drums) . I was young at the time and never bothered asking people what their set up was. What type of Dukoff did he play, just curious.
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My vote is for his sound with the Dukoff. It has just the right edge without all the tinniness he had on the first piece.
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Glad you liked it Larry, I also love that recording.
Here is the full album (found it in one of the reference threads Liam posted):
Al Cohn - Rifftide
Timeless Records SJP 259
Vinyl, LP, Album
Netherlands 1987
Side A:
00:00 Speak Low (Nash - Weill)
07:39 Blue Monk (Thelonious Monk)
15:32 Hot House (Tadd Dameron)
Side B:
20:10 The Thing (Cooper)
28:02 We'll Be Together Again (Fischer, Laine)
34:31 Rifftide (Coleman Hawkins)
Tenor Saxophone - Al Cohn
Piano - Rein De Graaff
Bass - Koos Serierse
Drums - Eric Ineke
Recorded at Studio 44, Monster, Holland June 6, 1987.
Thanks Liam.
I've read about those Frank Wells mouthpieces, seems to have been pieces with a very high baffle. Still Al sounds full and fantastic on it.
I bought one out of curiosity last year. Very interesting mouthpiece.
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...s-Tenor-Mouthpiece-112%94-Vintage-Collectible
I don't know. I'd be interested to know too.
He is also known for playing two other mouthpieces in his career and sounding quite different on both. He always sounded fantastic.
Earlier in his career until the late 1950's he played an Otto Link Tone Master and got a wonderfully fat and warm sound:
Late 1950's through to the mid/late 1970's he played on a Selmer Soloist.
Earlier in his career until the late 1950's he played an Otto Link Tone Master and got a wonderfully fat and warm sound:
Late 1950's through to the mid/late 1970's he played on a Selmer Soloist.
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I've only listened to the 1st clip but some of the edge in his sound is coming from that Shure SM58 mic. The 57's and 58's have a boost in presence that I could hear even before I saw the mic. The mpc. is a mystery, though. I played a Wells once but it was made from a Berg. That piece doesn't look like a Berg to me. A Charles Bay or Selmer, maybe?
This is the FranK Wells piece I owned - not a Berg. I think this is the piece Cohn was playing. It has quite a unique profile.
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