Billboard : 03/10/1956
Score of 74

Title derives from fact that most of the tenor sax playing participants here were members of the Woody Herman “Four Brothers” sax section at different times. Four tracks (from 1949) feature Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Allen Eager and Brew Moore, all of whom sounded much alike and very much like Lester Young. Flip, with Sims and Cohn, plus Kai Winding on trombone, dates from 1952, and shows the development of more individuality. Sound has been much improved in Rudy Van Gelder’s remastering. Tenor fans will want this one, tho there is more exciting, original stuff around.

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Liner Notes by Ira Gitler

April 8, 1949

This is by now a legendary session. Five of the greatest tenormen of the modern era were brought together under one roof. The famous “Four Brothers,” born at Pontrelli’s Ballroom in Los Angeles when Gene Roland wrote arrangements for Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, Jimmy Giuffre and Herbie Steward, and carried on to fame in Woody Herman‘s band by Sims, Getz, Steward (later Al Cohn) and Serge Chaloff, was enlarged to five for this date. Sims, Getz and Cohn who were Brothers tor the longest time with Woody are joined here by Allen Eager and Brew Moore.

All five stem from Lester Young: Brew closest to a facet of old Pres; Zoot embodying Pres intangibly and tangibly while carrying the tradition farther up the line; Al also carrying the tradition up the line and paralleling Pres in that all the others were very intently listening to his lyric statements; Stan, later dubbed “The Sound,” showing off that sound and the conglomerate style with the effects of bop’s imprint coupled to the Pres in him; and Allen also effected by two styles, Pres and Bird, but hewing closer to the first in the company’ present.

The other soloist is Walter Bishop, one of the most stable in the Bud Powell tradition.

The lines and arrangements of same are by two of the most important and influential writers of the past ten years. Gerry Mulligan contributed Five Brothers and Four And One Moore. Battleground and Battle Of The Saxes, originally titled The Fluegelbird and For Cool Tenormen Only but never issued under those titles, are by Al Cohn.

Solo sequence

Four And One Moore – Brew, Zoot, Al, Stan, Allen
Five Brothers – Allen, AI, Zoot, Stan, Brew
Battleground – same as Five Brothers
Baffle Of The Saxes – Stan (channel and 1st solo), Brew, Zoot, Al, Allen (same for chase choruses)

September 8, 1952

The Brothers in this set are Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, two tenormen who have very few peers in jazz today. They have often been allied before: in Woody Herman’s great “Four Brothers” band, briefly with Artie Shaw, a stint in a short lived three tenor group with Stan Getz, the memorable “Five Brothers” recording dale and numerous private sessions. During this long association, an enjoyment of, and respect for each other’s playing was engendered. Therefore, it was not surprising that this session, with the two complementing and inspiring one another brought forth music of multi-faceted merit.

Both Al and Zoot play in the tradition of the already immortal Lester Young, but rather than producing carbons of Pres, they show they have learned from him and integrated the qualities they heard into their playing without subverting their individual personalities. Zoot is the free wheeler. His short, booting, momentum gathering phrases are joined adroitly by longer lines. Al possesses a wonderful change of pace. His swing comes up from behind the beat. The solos have marvelous structure. Occasionally he will punctuate with a long plaintive note. This characteristic led one observer, on the jazz scene to state, “no one can moan like Al Cohn.”

The “magic” sound belongs to Zoot. His solos have consistency of texture. Al’s sound voices his ideas with a finish. At times, it comes so large that it seems to go through and envelope you all at once.

The collaboration was not limited to the blowing. Zootcase and Morning Fun were written at the date, the first being Zoot’s and the latter a joint effort. Zoot also wrote The Red Door, which Al arranged along with Tangerine as he was traveling in a taxi from Brooklyn to Manhattan for the date. For the enlightenment of those of you unfamiliar with the work of the two tenormen, Zoot has the first solo on all tunes but The Red Door. In the chase choruses on Morning Fun, he also leads off.

Kai Winding‘s trombone fills out the ensemble sound perfectly. At this time, he was just getting back into small group jazz after a tenure in the studios. His enthusiastic solos shows the happiness in his recaptured freedom.

Rhythm sections are sometimes taken for granted. This one swings so insistently that there is no danger of this happening. Art Blakey‘s infectious drumming, George Wallington‘s booting chords and Percy Heath‘s persuasion to swing are blended into a dynamic base that contributes tremendously to the excellent of these sides.