Houston: Texas Jazz Archive at Houston Public Library

Arnett Cobb (born Arnette Cleophus Cobbs on August 10, 1918, in Houston – died March 24, 1989) was a powerhouse American jazz tenor saxophonist known as the “Wild Man of the Tenor Sax.” Renowned for his booming, high-octane tone, he fused swing, blues, and early R&B into a signature “Texas Tenor” roar.

Beyond his chops, Cobb mentored future stars, scouted James Brown, and nurtured talent as club manager and community builder in Houston. Despite a tragic 1956 auto accident that left him on crutches, he recorded prolifically, co-founded the Texas Jazz Archive, and continued touring through the ’80s.

In 1986, Cobb and his daughter Lizette founded the Jazz Heritage Society of Texas — this led to the Archive’s creation in 1987 at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center. The archive includes oral histories, photos, manuscripts of Cobb and contemporaries.

The Texas Jazz Archive doesn’t gather dust—it’s used in live seminars, educational programs, guided tours with musicians’ descendants, and public events .