{{short description|American jazz keyboardist}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Call Cobbs | birth_name = Harvey Call Cobbs Jr. | birth_date = January 30, 1911 | birth_place = Urbana, Ohio, U.S. | death_place = The Bronx, New York, U.S. | death_date = September 21, 1971 (aged 60) | genre = Jazz{{dot}}free jazz | instrument = Piano{{dot}}electric harpsichord{{dot}}electric organ }} '''Harvey Call Cobbs Jr.''' (January 30, 1911 – September 21, 1971)<ref name="ssi">''U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007''</ref> was an American jazz pianist, electric harpsichordist, and organist. He is remembered for his work with saxophonist Albert Ayler in the mid- and late-1960s.
==Early life== Cobbs was born in Urbana, Ohio,<ref name="ssi"/><ref>''Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964''</ref> to Harvey Call Cobbs Sr. and Ethel Hill Cobbs. His father, known as Harry Cobbs, was a church janitor.<ref>''1930 United States Federal Census''</ref> In his youth, Cobbs served as companion and guide to the pianist Art Tatum and later accompanied Billie Holiday and replaced Hampton Hawes in the band of Wardell Gray.
== Career == Cobbs worked and recorded with the alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges in 1954, when Hodges' band included John Coltrane. He studied the Schillinger System of musical composition.
He is best remembered for his work with the free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler from 1964 through 1970, playing piano, rocksichord, and electronic organ in live performances and recordings. He also acted as Ayler's copyist and musical director.<ref name="schwartz">Schwartz, Jeff. (1992){{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/jeff_l_schwartz/chpt5.html |title=Albert Ayler: His Life and Music |accessdate=2010-10-14 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809060423/http://geocities.com/jeff_l_schwartz/chpt5.html |archivedate=2009-08-09 }} . Accessed July 2, 2007.</ref> When Ayler's body was found floating in the East River in New York City on November 25, 1970, Cobbs was called upon to identify the body.<ref name="schwartz" /><ref>Morton, Brian. (November 4, 2004) [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20041122/morton/2 Flowers for Albert: Albert Ayler]. ''The Nation''. Accessed July 2, 2007.</ref>
== Death == Cobbs was killed in a hit and run collision on September 21, 1971. He died at Jacobi Medical Center in The Bronx at the age of 60.
==Discography== '''With Albert Ayler''' *''Swing Low Sweet Spiritual'' (Osmosis, 1964 [1971]) *''Spirits Rejoice'' (ESP-Disk, 1965) *''Love Cry'' (Impulse!, 1967) *''Live in Greenwich Village'' *''New Grass'' (Impulse!, 1969) *''Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Vols. 1 & 2'' (Shandar, 1970) *''Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962–70)'' ( Revenant, 2004) *''Live on the Riviera'' (ESP-Disk, 2005) '''With John Coltrane''' *''First Giant Steps''. Rare Live Recordings '''With Johnny Hodges''' *''The Blues'' (Norgran, 1952–54, [1955]) *''Used to Be Duke'' (Norgran, 1954) '''With Jack McVea''' *''Two Timin' Baby'' (Juke Box Lil) '''With Jimmy Rushing''' *''1946–1953'' (Jazz Classics)
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== *[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p65247/credits|pure_url=yes}} Call Cobbs: Credits]. Allmusic. Accessed July 2, 2007. *"Final Bar." ''Downbeat'', November 11, 1971: p. 9.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobbs, Call Jr.}} Category:1911 births Category:1971 deaths Category:People from Urbana, Ohio Category:African-American jazz pianists Category:American jazz organists Category:American male organists Category:American jazz pianists Category:American male jazz pianists Category:American jazz keyboardists Category:Road incident deaths in New York City Category:Pedestrian road incident deaths Category:20th-century American pianists Category:20th-century American organists Category:Jazz musicians from Ohio Category:20th-century African-American musicians Category:20th-century American male pianists