Albert Mangelsdorff Essentials

Legendary jazz trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff was a true innovator, as well as being a pioneer of polyphonics. Not only could he play notes simultaneously, but his inventive style involved him humming and singing at the same time too. While growing up in Nazi Germany, his love for jazz was forced underground, but by the ’40s he was performing for American soldiers serving overseas. In 1958, he was chosen to represent Germany at the Newport Jazz Festival, where he mixed with Louis Armstrong and Gerry Mulligan. Although Mangelsdorff died in 2005, he left an incredible musical legacy.