Charting the History of the Al Cobine Big Band with Thomas Johnson

This presentation traces the Al Cobine Big Band from its 1955 beginning in Bloomington, Indiana to the current "ghost band" that still plays Al's book. Numerous future jazz stars and jazz educators performed with the band or with units Al put together to accompany stars ranging from Elvis to Mancini. The work could be considered a study of a late "territory band" or a "microhistory" or "local history", drawing from personal archives and focusing on the intersection between regional musicians and the wider world of jazz and professional music. It is hoped that the project will eventually lead to the creation of an archive and/or book about the band. Material is drawn from interviews with Marian Cobine and around two dozen former members of the Cobine band, as well as photographs and promotional materials from the private collections of various former band members. In addition, newspaper articles from 1952 on provide pieces of local history. The band began as essentially a college band, playing for dances and other opportunities. As Al (and the band) became better known, he and the musicians he hired toured with well-known performers, provided back up for local events and performances (such as Little 500 shows), and provided musicians to play with other band leaders, such as Les and Larry Elgart. Al's band benefitted from the continuous flow of musicians through IU's School of Music. Students who Al hired, both jazz and "legit", also benefitted from opportunities to play with the likes of Henry Mancini and Johnny Mathis. Al also contributed to Jazz education through the charts he published with Studio PR. If you have stories, photos, or other contributions to the history of the Cobine band or would like to share your experiences with the band or Al himself, feel free to contact Tom Johnson at thomas.johnson@indstate.edu or by phone at (812) 236-8037.