Biography
Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was a Dominican-born American jazz arranger, composer, record producer, saxophonist, and educator. Born in Samaná, Dominican Republic, to Lithuanian parents en route to New York, Albam was raised in New York City, where he developed an early passion for jazz after hearing Bix Beiderbecke. He began playing saxophone as a teenager and soon joined Muggsy Spanier's Dixieland band, later working with the Georgie Auld band, where arranger Budd Johnson became a crucial mentor.
By the late 1940s, Albam was active as both a performer and arranger, playing in bands led by Charlie Barnet, Jerry Wald, and Sam Donahue. By 1950, he shifted focus almost entirely to arranging and composing, quickly gaining recognition for his witty, tightly constructed bebop arrangements and distinctive use of flute-led reed sections. Albam wrote for major jazz figures and ensembles, including Count Basie, Stan Kenton, and Woody Herman, and created notable works such as the Afro-Latin piece "Samana" for the Stan Kenton Innovations Orchestra. His 1958 jazz adaptation of Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story' earned a Grammy nomination and led to further classical studies with Tibor Serly. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Albam also wrote for film, television, and commercials, and became a respected educator, teaching at institutions such as Eastman School of Music and Manhattan School of Music, and co-founding the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.
Albam's legacy is marked by his influential role in modern jazz arranging, his mentorship of younger composers, and his ability to bridge jazz and classical idioms. His works remain essential listening for arrangers and composers, and his impact continues through the generations of musicians he taught and inspired.
Fun Facts
- Manny Albam's birth was unusual: he was born in Samaná, Dominican Republic, while his Lithuanian parents were en route to New York.
- He put down his saxophone in 1950 to focus exclusively on arranging and composing, except for a single 1953 recording with Ella Fitzgerald.
- Albam's jazz arrangements of 'West Side Story' so impressed Leonard Bernstein that Bernstein invited him to write for the New York Philharmonic.
- He co-founded the influential BMI Jazz Composers Workshop in 1988, shaping the next generation of jazz writers.
Associated Acts
- Manny Albam & His Jazz Greats - original
- Manny Albam and His Orchestra - original
- Manny Albam, Ernie Wilkins & Their Orchestra - eponymous, original
- Manny Albam Big Band - eponymous
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Budd Johnson - Mentor and teacher in jazz arranging while Albam played in Georgie Auld's band (Arrangements for Georgie Auld Orchestra) [1940s]
- Tibor Serly - Classical composition teacher after Leonard Bernstein's invitation to write for the New York Philharmonic (Classical studies, Quintet for Trombone and Strings) [Late 1950s]
Key Collaborators
- Count Basie - Arranger for Basie's albums (Dance Session Album #2 (1954), Basie (1954)) [1950s]
- Stan Kenton - Arranger and composer for Kenton's Innovations Orchestra (Samana) [1950s]
- Leonard Bernstein - Arranger for Bernstein's West Side Story; invited to write for New York Philharmonic (West Side Story jazz arrangements (1958)) [1957–1959]
- Charlie Barnet - Saxophonist and arranger in Barnet's orchestra (Original compositions and arrangements for Barnet's band) [Late 1940s]
- Woody Herman - Composer/arranger for Herman's band (Various arrangements) [1950s]
- Stan Getz - Arranger (Arrangements for Stan Getz) [1950s]
- Bob Brookmeyer - Co-director and later successor at BMI Jazz Composers Workshop (BMI Jazz Composers Workshop) [1988–1990s]
Artists Influenced
- Phil Woods - Performed and recorded Albam's 'Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra' (Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra) [1980s–1990s]
- Joe Lovano - Albam arranged Lovano's Grammy-nominated album 'Celebrating Sinatra' (Celebrating Sinatra (1997)) [1997]
- BMI Jazz Composers Workshop students - Mentored and taught generations of jazz composers and arrangers (BMI Jazz Composers Workshop) [1988–2001]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz New York | 2005-01-01 | Album |
| Minor Matters | 2023-06-16 | Album |
| The Jazz Workshop | 2022-06-28 | Album |
| The Man from Samaná | 2022-01-07 | Album |
| Urbanity 1955 - Manny Albam | 2020-10-15 | Album |
| Classic Recordings 1957 | 2020-01-17 | Album |
| West Side Story & Other Favourites | 2017-09-08 | Album |
| The Jazz Collection | 2015-06-10 | Album |
| Jazz Goes to the Movies (Remastered 2015) | 2015-03-09 | Album |
| West Side Story | 2015-01-01 | Album |
| Manny Albam: Jazz Goes to the Movies | 2012-05-03 | Album |
| Plays Music from the Broadway Musical West Side Story & Steve's Songs | 2011-11-11 | Album |
| West Side Story | 2010-11-10 | Album |
| Essential Jazz Classics | 2009-11-01 | Album |
| Drum Suite | 2009-01-10 | Album |
Top Tracks
- April in Paris - 1996 Remastered (Body & Soul)
- He Glides Again
- Thruway (Jazz New York)
- On A Mist (Jazz New York)
- Minor Matters
- Steam Shuffle
- My Old Kentucky Home
- Lemon Twist
- America / I Feel Pretty / One Hand, One Heart
- Something's Coming
External Links
Tags: #2008-universal-fire-victim, #easy-listening, #jazz
References
Heard on WWOZ
MANNY ALBAM has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2025 | 16:08 | BLUES FROM NEITHER COASTfrom MANNY ALBAM AND THE JAZZ GREATS OF OUR TIME, VOL. 1 | Sitting Inw/ Elizabeth Meneray |