Danielle – Al Cohn

Plaintive, searching and mellifluous, Danielle is one of Al Cohn's masterpieces. It's been recorded by an amazing variety of artists. A versatile composition, it's been recorded as a bossa (Al's original intent), a deep ballad, and also in a 2-feel medium swing groove. As our Historical Notes detail, it's been recorded in varied keys and tempos.

Our audio clip features a bossa version by Al's son, guitarist Joe Cohn. The lead sheets represent Al's melody and chord progression as he wrote them in his original manuscript.

If you're looking for that right composition with such beauty and nostalgia that it may just break your heart a bit (and enthrall your audience), look no farther than Danielle.

This composition was first recorded in December, 1979, on a Zoot Sims recording as a feature for Zoot's brother, trombonist Ray Sims, whose daughter is named Danielle. As Danielle herself notes on YouTube, Al wrote it for her: "Growing up I remember my dad playing this song to me and my mom would always say 'He's playing your song.' It wasn't until I was older that I realized that it really was 'my song.'"

The Zoot Sims recording features the melody in a 2-feel medium swing groove (ca. 82) and in C concert.
-- A week later, Al Cohn recorded it in B-flat concert as a bossa (ca. 118) on his album "No Problem" for Xanadu Records. This feeling, key and tempo were Al's original intention for the composition.
-- In January 1981, Al's son, guitarist Joe Cohn, was on one of his first recording dates (with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco on the album "Mr. Lucky"). DeFranco recorded it as a 2-feel ballad (ca. 72), up a step, in C.
-- On March 4, 1982, Al recorded it again as a B-flat bossa (ca. 120) on his "Skylark" album.
--The next recording, in August, 1982, was a slower bossa version (ca. 96) featuring three guitarists (Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel) "At Charlie's Georgetown," this time in the key of G.
-- In 1987, Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer gave us a beautiful haunting ballad performance in A-flat, on Azure
-- In 1994, Herb Geller recorded it in F, again as a bossa (ca. 118).
-- The Harry Allen/Joe Cohn Quartet recorded it in 2004 as a slower bossa (ca. 108).
-- In 2008, Joe Cohn recorded it again in a quartet context (bossa, ca. 120).
-- And in 2010, Al's old buddy, Phil Woods, in a duo album with Bill Mays, recorded another gorgeous ballad version.

Here is Joe Cohn paying another great tribute to his father Al Cohn by recording a beautiful bossa version of Danielle.

After playing the melody, Joe plays a one chorus solo. Joe comes in with the out melody after one chorus solos by piano and bass (Peter Washington). Joe vamps and solos on the last two measures of the melody before ritarding into a final chord.