Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ALBANY, Joe

(b Joseph Albani, 24 Jan. '24, Atlantic City NJ; d 11 Jan. '88) Piano, songwriter. Important bop pianist, modern execution not obscuring deep feeling for the blues. Overlooked by critics for many years, partly because he walked out of jobs (e.g. with Charlie Parker) over musical differences. Worked '40s with Benny Carter, Stan Getz; his first recording session was with Georgie Auld's big band '45 ('Honey', 'Stompin' At The Savoy'), but records with Lester Young '46 in LA revealed both in comping and solos that he was well ahead of the field. In a broadcast from the Finale Club '46 Albany is an aggressive participant, his choruses fully a match for Charlie Parker's, raising memories of the creative duelling of Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines. Albany was potentially a giant who got lost, perhaps because of drugs; in the late '40s, he told Ira Gitler, he was passing as an albino in a black neighbourhood in Tulsa. First recording as a leader was quartet set The Right Combination '57 with Warne Marsh; he wrote songs recorded by Anita O'Day (At Mr Kelly's '58 on Verve); worked with Charles Mingus NYC '63. Further albums incl. Joe Albany At Home and Proto-Bopper '71--2 on Spotlite; trio set Birdtown Birds and Two's Company with bassist Niels-Henning ]asO[rsted Pederson, both on Steeplechase, made in Copenhagen '73--4; solo sets incl. one made in Milan '74 on Horo, This Is For My Friends and Plays George Gershwin And Bruce Lane made in Paris '76 on Musica, The Albany Touch '77 on Seabreeze in CA; duo Joe + Joe '74 in Rome with Joe Venuti on Horo; trio Bird Lives! NYC '79; Portrait Of An Artist '81 on Elektra with George Duvivier, Charlie Persip, Al Gofa on guitar.