Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Zinky Cohn was born on August 18, 1908 in Oakland, California. Little is known about his childhood but it has been speculated by many Jewish historians he descended from one of the so-called 12 tribes.
Moving to Chicago, Illinois in the late 1920s, he played around town and from 1928 to 1930 was a member of Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra. He recorded extensively with Noone between 1929 and 1934, especially for Vocalion Records. Many of the tunes Noone recorded were written and/or arranged by Cohn, including Apex Blues, previously attributed to Earl Hines.
Cohn also recorded as a leader in the early 1930s, with a band that featured Leon Washington on tenor saxophone. Cohn recorded with Frankie Franko & His Louisianans in 1930, and also accompanied blues singers such as Georgia White.
Later in the 1930s he led the Chicago musicians’ union, and continued to play locally. Pianist Zinky Cohn passed away on April 26, 1952 in Chicago.
