UNT Press

Have Horn, Will Travel: The Life and Music of Herman “Junior” Cook

— Vol. 21: of North Texas Lives of Musicians Series

Published: October, 2025  Pages: 208  Features: 47 b&w illus. Notes. Bib. Index.

Have Horn, Will Travel is the first full-length biography of tenor saxophone virtuoso and in-demand sideman Herman “Junior” Cook, chronicling his life and impact from his Pensacola, Florida, origins to his New York City–based career. Best known for his association with pianist Horace Silver’s iconic quintet from 1958 to 1964, Cook continued as a mainstay in some of jazz’s hardest-driving ensembles—with trumpeters Blue Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard, and Bill Hardman; drummers Louis Hayes and Elvin Jones; and the McCoy Tyner Big Band, among others—through the decades until his death in 1992. more... about Have Horn, Will Travel: The Life and Music of Herman “Junior” Cook