Pensive – Al Cohn
A ballad by saxophone master Al Cohn, mainstay of countless sessions, composer/arranger extraordinaire.
- Recording: Al Cohn - Overtones
- Recorded on: April 19, 1982
- Label: Concord (CJ 194)
- Concert Key: E-flat
- Style: Ballad
- Tenor Sax - Al Cohn
- Guitar - Joe Cohn
- Piano - Hank Jones
- Bass - George Duvivier
- Drums - Akira Tana
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This is a gorgeous Al Cohn ballad. Al Cohn is one of our great composers and arrangers, with a tremendous melodic and harmonic vocabulary as evidenced by this beautiful melody that continually evolves over its 34-measure AABA form. The last A section is 10 measures. Our melody excerpt is from Al's original recording (see note regarding availability in the Historical Notes section). We've included links to a few of the versions that are available online.
Al Cohn first recorded this composition in 1982 on his "Overtones" album. Unfortunately, this recording is currently not available as a download, but I'm working on getting Concord to make this and the whole album available as downloads. If you already have the CD, I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great album, with stellar musicians. It's also the first and only recording of Al with his son, guitarist Joe Cohn, and it contains several more great Al Cohn compositions.
Four months after the "Overtones" session, Charlie Byrd recorded a multiple guitar version of Pensive in the key of D, a half step down from the original key, on a live session, "Great Guitars At Charlie's Georgetown." In 1988, guitarist Howard Alden
recorded it (in the original key) in a duo context with bass. In 1991, alto saxophonist Phil Woods recorded it for the first of his three recordings of the composition, on his "Full House" recording for Milestone Records. Alto saxophonist Herb Geller 
recorded it in a duo context with piano in his 1994 album "Herb Geller Plays The Al Cohn Songbook."
We also want to bring to your attention two additional recordings of Pensive by Phil Woods that are available as downloads. The first, in 2000, Phil Woods with The Italian Rhythm Machine (feat. Stefano Bollani)
, and the most recent, in 2010, Dialogues With Christopher
, where Phil accompanies himself on piano.
Don Sickler: "Al's ballad is so beautiful, so heavy with harmonic complexity, I ask my arranging students to orchestrate it. No one can hurt it; it can withstand maltreatment from any student."
Four months after the "Overtones" session, Charlie Byrd recorded a multiple guitar version of Pensive in the key of D, a half step down from the original key, on a live session, "Great Guitars At Charlie's Georgetown." In 1988, guitarist Howard Alden
recorded it (in the original key) in a duo context with bass. In 1991, alto saxophonist Phil Woods recorded it for the first of his three recordings of the composition, on his "Full House" recording for Milestone Records. Alto saxophonist Herb Geller recorded it in a duo context with piano in his 1994 album "Herb Geller Plays The Al Cohn Songbook."We also want to bring to your attention two additional recordings of Pensive by Phil Woods that are available as downloads. The first, in 2000, Phil Woods with The Italian Rhythm Machine (feat. Stefano Bollani)
, and the most recent, in 2010, Dialogues With Christopher, where Phil accompanies himself on piano.Don Sickler: "Al's ballad is so beautiful, so heavy with harmonic complexity, I ask my arranging students to orchestrate it. No one can hurt it; it can withstand maltreatment from any student."
- Recording: Charlie Byrd - Great Guitars at Charlie's Georgetown
- Recorded on: August 14, 1982
- Label: Concord Jazz (CJ 209)
- Concert Key: D
- Style: Ballad
- Guitars - Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel
- Bass - Joe Byrd
- Drums - Chuck Redd
The "Great Guitars" record their treatment of Pensive in D concert. It is intriguing to follow our Guitar lead sheet with the recording. Our Guitar Corner Notes give you the section-by-section format of this intimate recording.
We couldn't find a commercially-available version of the audio, so we've put it on our YouTube channel.
We couldn't find a commercially-available version of the audio, so we've put it on our YouTube channel.
These three "Great Guitars" made their first recording together for Concord in 1974, followed by recordings in 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981 and lastly our recording in 1982.
These three legendary guitars loved to perform and record together. Pensive comes from the last recording they did together. They had recorded five previous albums together. Listen carefully to all of their subtle interplay as they together weave their own magic fabric.
intro: three-measures harmonized guitars
A1: [left] Byrd plays melody
counterlines by Ellis [center]
A2: [left] Byrd -- chordal comping by Kessel [right]
B: solo fill Kessel [right] to set up bridge
chord melody [center]- Ellis chord melody style
light comping by Byrd [left]
Kessel [right] fills m. 4 and 5, harmony part m.6, light comping last two measures
C1: [left] Byrd with interplay from the others [center]: Ellis countermelody/fills [right]: Kessel comping
SOLO A1 & A2: [right] Kessel take solo pickup & solos for 2 A sections
[left] Byrd comps first A
[center] Ellis comps second A
SOLO B: Byrd [left]
[center] Ellis comps
SOLO C: [center] Ellis solos
Kessel syncopated harmonic rhythm comp [right] ,
[left] Byrd downbeat harmonic rhythm comp
B BRIDGE OUT: melody [left] Byrd
[right] Kessel fills, harmony part m.6
[center] Ellis comps
C MELODY OUT: [right] Kessel
[center] Ellis and [left] Byrd both comp
improvisation solo fill last measure [center] Ellis
intro: three-measures harmonized guitars
A1: [left] Byrd plays melody
counterlines by Ellis [center]
A2: [left] Byrd -- chordal comping by Kessel [right]
B: solo fill Kessel [right] to set up bridge
chord melody [center]- Ellis chord melody style
light comping by Byrd [left]
Kessel [right] fills m. 4 and 5, harmony part m.6, light comping last two measures
C1: [left] Byrd with interplay from the others [center]: Ellis countermelody/fills [right]: Kessel comping
SOLO A1 & A2: [right] Kessel take solo pickup & solos for 2 A sections
[left] Byrd comps first A
[center] Ellis comps second A
SOLO B: Byrd [left]
[center] Ellis comps
SOLO C: [center] Ellis solos
Kessel syncopated harmonic rhythm comp [right] ,
[left] Byrd downbeat harmonic rhythm comp
B BRIDGE OUT: melody [left] Byrd
[right] Kessel fills, harmony part m.6
[center] Ellis comps
C MELODY OUT: [right] Kessel
[center] Ellis and [left] Byrd both comp
improvisation solo fill last measure [center] Ellis
Al Cohn
November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988
Al Cohn, born in Brooklyn, NY, went on to become not only a brilliant jazz tenor saxophonist, but an arranger, leader and sideman par excellence. From the "Al Cohn Memorial Jazz Collection," East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania website: "His career in jazz spanned more than 45 years. He performed with the bands of Henry Jerome, Joe Marsala, Georgie Auld, Alvino Rey, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, Elliot Lawrence and others. Many of the arrangements used by these bands were written by Al, and he also arranged for Gerry Mulligan, Quincy Jones, Terry Gibbs and Jimmy Rushing. Read more...