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Arnett Cobb

1918–1989

United States

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Biography

Arnett Cleophus Cobb (August 10, 1918 – March 24, 1989) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, sometimes known as the "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax" because of his uninhibited stomping style. Cobb wrote the words and music for the jazz standard "Smooth Sailing" (1951), which Ella Fitzgerald recorded for Decca and later included on her album Lullabies of Birdland.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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