Albert Mangelsdorff, 76; Jazz Trombonist Celebrated for His Solo Improvisations

Albert Mangelsdorff, a German jazz trombonist and bandleader known for his striking solo improvisations, died Monday in his hometown of Frankfurt after a long illness. He was 76.

The jazzman was adept at the multi-phonic approach -- producing more than one note at the same time by humming and singing while playing. An outstanding example of the technique was his three-part harmony in Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo” on the 1975 album “The Wide Point.”

Mangelsdorff was introduced to jazz by his alto saxophonist brother, Emil, via the secret Frankfurt Hot Club, when jazz was banned by the Nazis. Albert Mangelsdorff studied violin and taught himself the guitar, which he played in big bands after World War II. In 1948, he took up the trombone.

He gained U.S. attention in 1958, when he represented Germany in an international youth band at the Newport Jazz Festival. He recorded with John Lewis and Ravi Shankar, toured Asia with his own band, and performed with the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble and the French/German Ensemble.