Manny Albam | |
|---|---|
 Manny Albam conducting | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Emmanuel Albam |
| Born | (1922-06-24)June 24, 1922 Samana,Dominican Republic |
| Died | October 2, 2001(2001-10-02) (aged 79) Croton-on-Hudson, New York, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, Latin jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger |
| Instrument | Saxophone |
| Labels | Solid State |
| Formerly of | Buddy Rich,Stan Kenton,Woody Herman |
Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was an American jazz arranger, composer, record producer, saxophonist, and educator.[1][2]
A native of theDominican Republic, Albam grew up inNew York City. He was attracted to jazz at an early age when heard the music ofBix Beiderbecke.[3]
He left school in his teens and played saxophone in a Dixieland band led byMuggsy Spanier. When he was with theGeorgie Auld band, he learned about arranging withBudd Johnson.[3] By 1950 Albam was concentrating less on performing and more on writing and arranging.
Within a few years, he became known for abebop style that emphasized taut and witty writing with a flair for distinctive shadings; flute-led reed sections became something of an Albam trademark. One of his most popular works from that era was "Samana", an Afro-Latin composition he did for theStan Kenton Innovations Orchestra, named after his birthplaceSamaná in the Dominican Republic.[4] He worked with bandleadersCharlie Barnet andCharlie Spivak[3] before collaborating withCount Basie,Stan Getz,Bob Brookmeyer,Coleman Hawkins,Dizzy Gillespie,Freddie Hubbard,Hank Jones,Mel Lewis,Art Farmer,Urbie Green, andMilt Hinton.
Albam wrote arrangements forLeonard Bernstein's score for the musicalWest Side Story in 1957. The work earned him a Grammy Award nomination in 1959. He was invited by Bernstein to write for theNew York Philharmonic, and he began to study classical music withTibor Serly, eventually writingQuintet for Trombone and Strings. He also wrote music for movies, television, and commercials.[3] In the early 1960s he became music director forSolid State Records.[3] For the rest of his career, he taught at Glassboro State College, Eastman School of Music, and Manhattan School of Music.[3] He helped start and lead the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.[3]
He died of cancer inCroton-on-Hudson, New York, aged 79, in 2001.[5]
WithCount Basie
WithKenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band
WithAl Cohn
WithJose Feliciano
WithCurtis Fuller
WithFreddie Green
WithColeman Hawkins
WithGroove Holmes
WithO'Donel Levy
WithJimmy McGriff
WithJoe Newman
WithFreda Payne
WithOscar Peterson
WithBuddy Rich
WithZoot Sims
WithDakota Staton
WithDionne Warwick
