MANNY ALBAM - Manny Albam Classic Recordings 1957
Acrobat ADDCD3319
Collective personnel including , Al Cohn (ts); Gerry Mulligan (bs); Hank Jones (p); Milt Hinton (b); Osie Johnson, Shelly Manne (d); and others
Recorded N.Y.C April to October 1957
When the CD for review came through the letterbox, my first reaction was ‘Manny Albam? Who he?’ Then after a little reflection, I remembered I had heard of him and realised after searching that font of all knowledge (Wikipedia) where I had, on many of my records and CDs were the words Manny Albam (arr.cond).
Unfortunately Wikipedia covers Manny’s life in a dozen and a half lines, we learn he was the child of Lithuanian immigrants, who was born in the Dominican Republic when his mother went into labour en route to the United States, and that after settling in New York at the age of 16 he played with Muggsy Spanier and later with George Auld where he moved on to arranging. Fortunately there are some 16 pages in the CD booklet that have increased this reviewer’s knowledge of Mr Albam, for which he is eternally grateful, not least the fact that in later life Manny Albam sported a large and fine ‘walrus moustache!’
These CDs comprise, to quote from the cover, all the titles from his Jazz Greats of Our Times, the complete ‘The Blues is Everybody’s Business’ and selections from ‘West Side Story.’ The recordings are dated in the booklet as 1957. The list of star names assembled for these sessions is very impressive and too numerous to list here, but suffice to say Brookmeyer, Sims, Cohn, Mulligan, Edison, Farmer and alumni of the Basie Band all feature.
CD1 has several originals credited to Manny as well tunes by Porter, Gershwin and Ellington amongst others.
CD2 has the ‘Blues is Everybody’s Business’ where we have strings added to the general ensemble, perhaps not to everyone’s taste but featuring great solos from the jazz royalty. It is a shame that there was not enough space to include all the tracks from the West Side Story sessions, but intrepid purchasers will find the West Side Story CD online for a couple of pounds or so. In fact these CDs from the Acrobat Music Label can be found on line for under a tenner and a joy from start to finish, highly recommended.
Incidentally Al Cohn’s granddaughter Shaye, continues the family musical tradition by playing cornet with the New Orleans based band Tuba Skinny, she also plays accordion, piano and violin, a talented Lady.
Reviewed by Clive Fleckner
Acrobat ADDCD3319
Collective personnel including , Al Cohn (ts); Gerry Mulligan (bs); Hank Jones (p); Milt Hinton (b); Osie Johnson, Shelly Manne (d); and others
Recorded N.Y.C April to October 1957
When the CD for review came through the letterbox, my first reaction was ‘Manny Albam? Who he?’ Then after a little reflection, I remembered I had heard of him and realised after searching that font of all knowledge (Wikipedia) where I had, on many of my records and CDs were the words Manny Albam (arr.cond).
Unfortunately Wikipedia covers Manny’s life in a dozen and a half lines, we learn he was the child of Lithuanian immigrants, who was born in the Dominican Republic when his mother went into labour en route to the United States, and that after settling in New York at the age of 16 he played with Muggsy Spanier and later with George Auld where he moved on to arranging. Fortunately there are some 16 pages in the CD booklet that have increased this reviewer’s knowledge of Mr Albam, for which he is eternally grateful, not least the fact that in later life Manny Albam sported a large and fine ‘walrus moustache!’
These CDs comprise, to quote from the cover, all the titles from his Jazz Greats of Our Times, the complete ‘The Blues is Everybody’s Business’ and selections from ‘West Side Story.’ The recordings are dated in the booklet as 1957. The list of star names assembled for these sessions is very impressive and too numerous to list here, but suffice to say Brookmeyer, Sims, Cohn, Mulligan, Edison, Farmer and alumni of the Basie Band all feature.
CD1 has several originals credited to Manny as well tunes by Porter, Gershwin and Ellington amongst others.
CD2 has the ‘Blues is Everybody’s Business’ where we have strings added to the general ensemble, perhaps not to everyone’s taste but featuring great solos from the jazz royalty. It is a shame that there was not enough space to include all the tracks from the West Side Story sessions, but intrepid purchasers will find the West Side Story CD online for a couple of pounds or so. In fact these CDs from the Acrobat Music Label can be found on line for under a tenner and a joy from start to finish, highly recommended.
Incidentally Al Cohn’s granddaughter Shaye, continues the family musical tradition by playing cornet with the New Orleans based band Tuba Skinny, she also plays accordion, piano and violin, a talented Lady.
Reviewed by Clive Fleckner
