Originally released in November 1960, "Ballads By Cobb", as its title suggests, is all slow ballads, putting the emphasis on the Texas tenor’s warm tone. A Texas tenor player in the tradition of Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb's accessible playing was between swing and early rhythm & blues. His stomping, robust style earned him the title 'Wild Man of the Tenor Sax'. Cobb spent most of the 1960s playing back in his native Texas but he returned to the national scene in 1973 and during his final 15 years engaged in many exciting tenor battles, showing that there were few tougher Texas tenors than the legendary Arnett Cobb. Here, the 'Wild Man' takes a smoother, more emotional approach. The album was recorded Nov. 1, 1960 by Rudy Van Gelder at his studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. and produced by Esmond Edwards.
