Manny Albam was born on June 24, 1922 in the Dominican Republic, a port of call during his parent’s journey from Lithuania to begin a new life in New York City. Manny grew up listening to his mother’s opera records but began his interest in jazz when he heard a Bix Beiderbecke record at the age of 7. Albam went on to become a prolific composer, arranger, producer and music educator as well as having a successful career as a clarinet and saxophone player.

By his late teens Albam was playing in a Dixieland band led by cornetist Muggsy Spanier and went on to perform with Georgie Auld, Lee Castle and Herbie Field. While with Auld he met Budd Johnson who had arranged music for the Earl Hines group, and he began to mentor Albam. By his late 20s Manny was concentrating more on writing than playing and produced work that was performed by Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, Buddy Rich and Dizzy Gillespie. He wrote an Afro-Latin piece named Samana after the city of his birth that was recorded by the Stan Kenton Innovations Orchestra.

In addition to his work with jazz artists, Manny Albam also worked with Jose Feliciano and Dionne Warwick. Leonard Bernstein had Albam write some of the arrangements used in the Broadway production of “West Side Story,” as well. This collaboration with Bernstein garnered Manny a Grammy nomination in 1959.

During the 1960s Albam served as the musical director for Solid State Records. Beginning in 1964 he focused more on teaching and taught at Glassboro State College, the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. Manny Albam passed away at the age of 79 in 2001 after a battle with cancer.

Here is a link to a full orchestra featuring several jazz notables playing Manny Albam’s arrangement of Carioca.  Albam is also the conductor on this record:

"CARIOCA"