Albert Mangelsdorff (September 5, 1928 – July 25, 2005) was a German jazz trombonist. Working mainly in free jazz, he was an innovator in multiphonics.
Mangelsdorff was born in Frankfurt on September 5, 1928, as the son of the bookbinder Emil Albert Joseph Mangelsdorff (1891–1963), born in Ingolstadt, and his wife Luise, née Becker (1896–1976), from Wertheim. He was given violin lessons as a child and was self-taught on guitar in addition to knowing trombone. His brother, Emil Mangelsdorff, had a jazz record collection, but during the Nazi period Albert’s enthusiasm for the music had to be restrained.
Mangelsdorff began his career as a professional musician in 1947 as a rhythm guitarist in the Otto Laufner Big Band, which played in US Army clubs. Mangelsdorff bought his first trombone on the black market for a few cartons of cigarettes. Then he took lessons from the principal trombonist at the Oper Frankfurt, Fritz Stähr (1889–1971).
He played in the bands of Joe Klimm (1950–53) and Hans Koller (1953/54) as well as in the HR Dance Orchestra conducted by Willy Berking (1955–57). Mangelsdorff made his recording debut in 1952, playing with Hans Koller. As the German representative for the Newport Jazz Festival International Band in 1958, he collaborated with the American musicians Gerry Mulligan and Louis Armstrong. From 1959, he performed in the Jazz im Palmengarten series of events.
In 1961, he founded his Albert Mangelsdorff Quintet.[4] Mangelsdorff recorded prolifically in the 1960s, including sessions with his own quintet, his brother, and with pianist John Lewis. By the time of his solo performance at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972, he was playing more free jazz.[2] In 1972, he recorded his first solo record Trombirds.[3] “He made solo trombone – a heretofore unknown concept in jazz – a reality via multiphonics, the physically and technically demanding simultaneous blowing and singing of notes into his horn; the method opened vast new dimensions like harmonies and chords”.
He performed with pianist Chick Corea, cool jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz and bassist Jaco Pastorius. Mangelsdorff later worked with the NDR Big Band, Old Friends (led by Manfred Schoof), and the United Jazz + Rock Ensemble.
In 1993, Mangelsdorff was appointed honorary professor for jazz at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. From 1995 to 2001, he directed the Berlin Jazz Festival.
Mangelsdorff was married to Ilo. He was the father of countertenor and biologist Ralph Daniel Mangelsdorff (born 1958). Mangelsdorff was a passionate ornithologist. He died in Frankfurt am Main on July 25, 2005. He is buried at the Frankfurt Main Cemetery (Gewann XV 31).
The Albert Mangelsdorff Prize, which emerged from the German Jazz Prize in 1994, is awarded every two years by the Union of German Jazz Musicians. In 2008, the Albert Mangelsdorff Foyer was opened in the Alte Oper. In 2013, the inauguration of the Albert-Mangelsdorff-Weiher (pond) in Frankfurt, Bockenheimer Anlage, took place.
In 2009, the Institut für Stadtgeschichte Frankfurt/HGermany founded a Jazzarchiv (jazz archive) with the takeover of Mangelsdorff’s estate. (wikipedia)
And here´s a pretty good broadcast recording from his early days in the Fifites:
The Jazz-Sextet was the name of an illustrious touring ensemble around trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff, who dropped by the Hamburg NDR studio for a session in April 1957 at the invitation of editor and jazz expert Hans Gertberg. The latter dispensed with the use of a harmonizing piano and distributed tunings and voices among the instruments: Mangelsdorff’s trombone, the saxophones of the two cool and West Coast masters Bob Cooper and Bud Shank, Attila Zoller’s guitar, Kar Sanner’s drums and Gary Peacock’s bass.
For one track, clarinetist Tony Scott joined the sextet. The version of Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays” recorded with him promptly becomes a 20-minute world tour through the most diverse sounds and rhythms. On the other six tracks, the troupe makes very intelligent and relaxed use of song and sound structures by Shearing and Gershwin.
Those who like labels call the whole thing Westcoast. But first and foremost, what you hear here is a confident, extremely well-sorted ensemble with musicians of distinction sharing their thoughts in a way that is as creative as it is charming. (Press release)
“It is always amazing what fantastic recordings lie dormant in the archives.” (LP Magazine, , Issue 3/2018)
Yes … A wonderful example of early jazz in Germany after World War II … with a little help from US jazz musicians !
Tracks 01-05: Hamburg, Germany, April 12, 1957
Tracks 06-19: Munich, Germany, March, 1957
Personnel:
Bob Cooper (saxophone)
Albert Mangelsdorff (trombone)
Gary Peacock (bass)
Karl Sanner (drums)
Bud Shank (saxophone. flute)
Attila Zoller (guitar)
Tracklist:
01. These Foolish Things (Link/Strachey) 4.09
02. What A Difference A Day Makes (Grever) 4.05
03. Embraceable You (Gershwin) 3.23
04. Our Love Is Here To Stay (Gershwin) 3.21
05. Lullaby Of Birdland (Shearing) 2.18
06. Radio – Intro by Freddie Brocksieper 0.32
07 Studio 15 (aka Jubilation) (Cooper) 3.40
08. Intro by Albert Mangelsdorff 0.54
09. I’ll Close My Eyes (Kaye/Reid) 4.19
10. Intro by Bob Cooper 0.58
11. Angel Eyes (Brent/Dennis) 3.18
12. Tea For Two (Caesar/Youmans) 4.15
13. Intro by Bud Shank 0.52
14. I Can’t Get Started (Duke) 2.58
15. Tangerine (Mercer) 5.50
16. Intro by Bud Shank 0.36
17. The Nearness Of You (Carmichael) 4.04
18. A Night In Tunisia (Gillespie) 7.15
19. I’ll Remember April (de Paul) 13.16.
More from Albert Mangelsdorff in this blog:
The official website:
ManyFantasticColors 