Cobb, Arnett, 1918–1989

In Houston in the 1930s Phyllis Wheatley High School in the Fifth Ward produced many talented musicians from the school’s acclaimed music program. The climate in the Houston community outside the school, was also condusive to the development of young musicians. Houston citizens frequently had opportunities to see national acts perform in local venues such as the Puritan Temple, the Houston City Auditorium and Loew’s Theater. This was an inspirational introduction to music for Houston’s young people.

Phyllis Wheatley High School and Jack Yates High School, both in Houston, rivaled each other in sports and band. The rivalry between the two schools encouraged the band students to compete with each other and push their abilities to their full potential. In later years students from Yates, Wheatley and Washington high schools frequently found themselves playing together in professional bands as adults.

While still enrolled in school, the Phyllis Wheatley Orchestra students would play at all the school functions during the week. On week-ends the orchestra would play community venues. Outside the Orchestra, it was not uncommon for seasoned musicians to allow beginners to sit in with them on stage while they performed. This prepared young musicians not only in technique, but also audience expectations. The older musicians also had no reservations about hiring the young adults to perform in bands. Frequently musicians newly graduated from high school were hired to begin playing professsionally.

Arnett Cobb (1918-1989) was born in Houston's Fifth Ward. He was exposed to music at an early age; his grandmother taught him to play the piano when he was about 10 or 12 years old. He soon picked up the violin. As the only violin in an 80-piece brass band at Phyllis Wheatley High School, he switched to saxophone in order to be heard. Known as the "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax," Cobb made his professional debut with Frank Davis in 1933. Cobb played with Chester Boone from 1934-1936 and with Milton Larkin from 1936-1942. In 1942, he replaced Illinois Jacquet in Lionel Hampton's band, where he remained until 1947 when he left to form his own band. Serious injuries resulting from being hit by a car when he was 10 and an automobile accident in 1951 plagued him throughout his career, but they never prevented Arnett Cobb from helping to shape and define what become known as the Texas-tenor sound.