There is only one reason to bring you Manny Albam’s “Poor Dr. Millmoss”—it is a delight. It’s
from the first of two Jazz Greats Of Our Time sessions that the prolific composer and arranger (pictured) recorded in the 1950s—one with star east coast musicians, the other with some of the most prominent west coast players. Albam made the east coast “Millmoss” in New York in 1957 with Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, Nick Travis, Art Farmer, Osie Johnson, Milt Hinton and Hank Jones. In the video, the soloists are identified by name, for which Erlendur Svavarsson, who posted the track, deserves great credit.
Manny Albam was a fan of James Thurber’s work in general and, in particular, of what may be Thurber’s most famous New Yorker cartoon. If you weren’t around in 1934, or you don’t know about Dr. Millmoss, or the name James Thurber means nothing to you, click here.
A Spanish company has put both of Albam’s Jazz Greats recordings on CD. I haven’t heard the reissue and cannot comment on the remastering quality. The sound of the original Coral LPs was excellent.
Thanks for posting this. Manny’s use of two baritone saxophones (Mulligan and Cohn) perfectly captures the humor of Thurber’s cartoon.
As a friend and erstwhile teacher, Manny was one of the great people in my life. I spoke with him by phone not long before he died, and the thought of that conversation still brings a lump to my throat.
BTW, just for the record, one of Manny’s huge roster of accomplishments was as uncredited producer of Chick Corea’s landmark 1968 album NOW HE SINGS, NOW HE SOBS.
Here’s an anecdote from years ago. It was one of Bill Crow’s Band Room columns in Allegro, the AFM Local 82 publication.
Thank you for posting this cartoon. I didn’t know James Thurber was a cartoonist. I knew he was a writer. I learn a lot about music from your posts. Thanks!
All of my Manny Albams LPs have flown the coop, along with others—too many moves. Guess I’ll have to settle for CDs. Albam was a magnificent arranger and writer. Thanks for posting the video. All the players have died—life is indeed short
My personal memories of Manny are from my childhood; he and dad were good friends. As my ears grew, of course I was awed by his arrangements. But for some reason there is an LP that made an impression on me decades ago such that I have never forgotten it.– maybe because I was in Paris in the home of Mimi Perrin from Les Double Six when I heard it. Do you remember his album The Soul of the City?—all original compositions. Not everybody appreciated the added sound effects, but it has stuck with me all these years.