Al Cohn was initially known in the 1940s for playing in Woody Herman's Second Herd as one of the Four Brothers, along with Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, and Serge Chaloff. Unlike the better known tenors Sims and Getz, Cohn contributed arrangements to the Herman band. Cohn had a reputation as a lyrical flowing soloist.
After leaving the Herman group Cohn went on to play with a variety of other musicians, but his best-known association was his long-term partnership with fellow Herman veteran tenor player Sims, beginning with the quintet they co-led in 1956. They continued to play together sporadically until the death of Sims. The high point of their recorded output can be found on You 'n' Me, a collection of standards and original compositions released on Mercury Records in 1960.[citation needed] The two also played on some of author Jack Kerouac's recordings. The rhythm section on their 1950s recordings included Mose Allison on piano.
In addition to his work as a jazz tenor saxophonist, Cohn was an arranger. His work included the Broadway productions of Raisin' and Sophisticated Ladies. Also, Cohn did arrangements for unreleased Linda Rondstadt recordings from the 1980s.
Cohn also appeared on stage with Elvis Presley in June, 1972, as a member of the Joe Malin Orchestra at Madison Square Garden.
Cohn's first wife was the singer Marilyn Moore. His son, Joe Cohn is a jazz guitar player.
Discography
As leader
Cohn's Tones (1950)
Cohn on the Saxophone (1956) - Dawn Records
Featuring Bob Brookmeyer (1956) - Coral Records, with trombonist Bob Brookmeyer
Play It Now (1975; Xanadu Records)
Al Cohn's America (1976; Xanadu)
No Problem (1979; Xanadu)
Nonpareil (1981; Concord Records), with Lou Levy, Monty Budwig, Jake Hanna
True Blue with Dexter Gordon (1976; Xanadu)
Silver Blue with Dexter Gordon (1976; Xanadu)
Heavy Love with Jimmy Rowles (1977; Xanadu)
Tour De Force (1981) live in Japan w/ tenor players Buddy Tate and Scott Hamilton.
Standards of Excellence (1984; Concord)
Rifftide (1987) with Rein de Graaf (piano), Koos Serierse (bass), Eric Ineke (drums) by Timeless Records
As sideman
With Trigger Alpert
Trigger Happy! (Riverside, 1956) - also released as East Coast Sounds
With Kenny Burrell
Earthy (Prestige, 1957)
With Mundell Lowe
Satan in High Heels (soundtrack) (Charlie Parker, 1961)
With Lalo Schifrin and Bob Brookmeyer
Samba Para Dos (Verve, 1963)
With Zoot Sims
From A to Z (1956)
Al and Zoot (1957)
Either Way (1960)
Blues and Haikus (1960) - Playing behind Jack Kerouac's poetry reading.
You 'n' Me (1960)
Body and Soul (1973) - With Jaki Byard on Piano, George Duvivier on Bass and Mel Lewis on Drums. Produced by Don Schlitten.
Motoring Along (1975) - With Horace Parlan on Piano, Hugo Rasmussen on Bass and Sven Erik Norregaard on Drums. Produced by Rune Ofwerman.
Either Way (1960)
Hoagy Carmichael Sessions and More
Easy as Pie: Live at the Left Bank (1968) live in Baltimore, with pianist Dave Frishberg,
Back to Back
Al Cohn Lyrics
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I let you
We broke the ties that bind
I wanted to forget you
And leave the past behind
Still, the magic of the night I met you
Seems to stay forever in my mind
And high above
The moon was new
And so was love
This eager heart of mine was singing
Lover where can you be
You came at last
Love had its day
That day is past
You've gone away
This aching heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I'm so lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I grow lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
The lyrics to Al Cohn's song "Lover Come Back To Me" poignantly describe the pain of love lost and the longing to revive a once passionate relationship. The song's narrator admits to letting their lover go and trying to forget them, but the memory of the night they met and fell in love continues to haunt their thoughts. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and yearning as the singer sings "Lover where can you be" and "Lover come back to me".
The second half of the song reflects on the nostalgia and loneliness that comes with memories of a past love. The singer becomes increasingly hopeless as they admit to walking every road with their former partner and feeling lonely without them. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "Lover come back to me", suggesting that the singer is unable to move on without their lost love.
Overall, "Lover Come Back To Me" is a heartfelt ode to lost love and the pain that comes with longing for a past relationship. The lyrics evoke a sense of vulnerability and raw emotion that many listeners can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
You went away
You left me
I let you
I didn't stop you
We broke the ties that bind
We ended our relationship
I wanted to forget you
I tried to move on
And leave the past behind
And not dwell on what happened
Still, the magic of the night I met you
But I cannot forget that special night
Seems to stay forever in my mind
It is permanently etched in my memory
The sky was blue
It was a nice day
And high above
The sky was expansive
The moon was new
A new moon phase had just started
And so was love
And our love was new as well
This eager heart of mine was singing
I was joyful and excited
Lover where can you be
I wondered where you were
You came at last
Finally, you arrived
Love had its day
Our love was strong for a time
That day is past
But that time is gone now
You've gone away
And you left me again
This aching heart of mine is singing
My heart is filled with pain
Lover come back to me
Please return to me
When I remember every little thing
When I reminisce about our past
You used to do
The memories of your actions
I'm so lonely
I am deeply and painfully alone
Every road I walk along
Every path I take
I walk along with you
I feel your presence with me
No wonder I am lonely
No surprise that I feel such despair
The night is cold
It's chilly outside
But love is old
Our love isn't new anymore
And while I'm waiting here
As I sit here and wait for you
This heart of mine is singing
My heart is filled with sadness
Lover come back to me
Please return to me
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, TuneCore Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, ONErpm, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, SIGMUND ROMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind