Essential Listening: Manny Albam

“Manny Albam was a terrific musician, composer, arranger, teacher and, best of all, a warm, funny human being and friend. I first met Manny when I was in high school in Rochester, New York, performing in an area all-star high school jazz band directed by the Reverend George Wiskirchen. One year, this high school band had the opportunity to perform during the final concert of the Arranger’s Holiday Workshop at the Eastman Theater in Rochester. SInce Manny was one of the teachers at the workshop, the good Reverend had rehearsed several charts from Manny’s newly released Solid State LP Brass On Fire. When I made it to New York a few years later, I had the good fortune to run into Manny often and we struck up a friendship.”—Dean Pratt

Vinyl Tap

By Dean Pratt

“With West Side Story, Albam achieved one of his greatest works. Most of the material is emotionally charged and moody, but the precise execution of Al barn’s inspired arrangements, along with superbly apt solos, injected considerably more jazz life into Bernstein’s provocative score.”—Jordi Pujol 

“Manny was one of the good guys. His sweet nature endeared him to everyone who met him, and he wrote music that we loved to play.”—Bill Crow

Author’s Note: My friend Audrey Mannes Mosello put this (vinyl) ball in motion when she asked me to post my favorite albums—my “essential jazz listening list”—on Facebook over a specified-by-her period of time. Or something like that. Audrey, you know what you asked of me, but I doubt you expected the deluge that would follow on as a result of your innocent request.

PENDLETON South Carolina—(Weekly Hubris)—1 February 2023—Manny Albam was a terrific musician, composer, arranger, teacher and, best of all, a warm, funny human being and friend. I first met Manny when I was in high school in Rochester, New York, performing in an area all-star high school jazz band directed by the Reverend George Wiskirchen. 

One year, this high school band had the opportunity to perform during the final concert of the Arranger’s Holiday Workshop at the Eastman Theater in Rochester. Since Manny was one of the teachers at the workshop, the good Reverend had rehearsed several charts from Manny’s newly released Solid State LP “Brass On Fire.” When I made it to New York a few years later, I had the good fortune to run into Manny often and we struck up a friendship; I and the entire music community will always miss him. I had already acquired some of the LPs listed here below (as essential jazz listening) when I first met Manny that night in Rochester, and that gave me the courage to approach him. Fortunately for me, it would not be our last creative encounter. 

The RCA Jazz Workshop Series LP features various octets in a set of standards and originals arranged by Manny. Musicians are: Al Cohn, Bob Brookmeyer, Nick Travis, Jimmy Nottingham, Sol Schlinger, Billy Byers, Hal McKusick, Urbie Green, Joe Newman, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson in the rhythm section. Two LPs titled “Manny Albam & His Jazz Greats” comprise one group of New York greats (Vol 1) and one group of Los Angeles greats (Vol 2). Featured from New York are: Art Farmer, Nick Travis, Bob Brookmeyer, Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Gerry Mulligan, Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson. The LA greats are: Conte Candoli, Jack Sheldon, Stu Williamson, Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, Bill Holman, Med Flory, Charlie Mariano, Lou Levy, Red Mitchell, and Shelly Manne in the rhythm section. Jazz New York gets us to some big band dates and this one has the usual all-star New York cats who frequented the studios in the 50s and 60s: Gene Quill, Jerome Richardson, Al Cohn, Frank Socolow, Zoot Sims, Pepper Adams, Bernie Glow, Ernie Royal, Donald Byrd, Nick Travis, Art Farmer, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim Dahl, Tommy Mitchell, Eddie Costa, Milt Hinton, Dick Katz, Joe Benjamin, and Osie Johnson. 

“The Blues Is Everybody’s Business” is a four-movement suite, and earned a five-star rating in “Downbeat” when it came out in 1958. It’s Manny’s journey through the blues with a full orchestra of New York’s finest featuring Ernie Royal, Nick Travis, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Al Cohn, Bob Brookmeyer, and Vinnie Burke. Bernie Glow leads the trumpet section and Don Lamond heads up the rhythm section. The Decca LP “West Side Story” is one of my all-time favorite jazz renditions of Bernstein’s score. Manny’s arrangements are a wonder and the soloists? Well, here they are again: Gene Quill, Al Cohn, Bernie Glow, Ernie Royal, Nick Travis, Joe Newman, Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Cleveland, Eddie Costa, Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall, and Osie Johnson on drums. The 1958 Dot LP “Steve Songs” has Manny arranging some of Steve Allen’s many compositions. It’s just another wonderful New York Big Band date with all of the regulars: Glow, Travis, Royal, Farmer (trumpets); Brookmeyer, Dahl, Mitchell and Dick Hixon (trombones); Quill, Cohn, Socolow, and Gene Allen (reeds); Eddie Costa, Dick Katz, Milt Hinton, Joe Benjamin, and Osie Johnson in the rhythm section. Swinging! 

Finally, we have the Solid State LP “The Soul Of The City,” recorded in 1966 on the recently formed label by Sonny Lester, with Phil Ramone (engineer), and Manny Albam, (musical director). Solos are by Phil Woods, Frank Wess, Jerome Richardson, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, Burt Collins, Freddie Hubbard, J. J. Johnson, Mike Mainieri, Richard Davis, and Hank Jones. Mr. Albam, it was an honor to know you. All essential listening! (For much more information about Manny Albam, click here.)