JOE ALBANY

Joseph Albani, known as Joe Albany (January 24, 1924 – January 12, 1988) was an American jazz pianist. He was among the few white pianists to have played bebop with Charlie Parker. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, he had studied piano as a child and, by 1943, he was working on the West Coast in Benny Carter's orchestra. In 1946 he was playing with Parker and also Miles Davis. He continued for a few years afterward, and was on an album by Warne Marsh album in 1958. Despite that, most of the 1950s and 1960s saw him battling a heroin addiction, or living in seclusion in Europe. He also had several unsuccessful marriages in the period. He returned to jazz in the 1970s and produced a few albums. He died in New York City. He was the focus of a documentary in 1980 titled Joe Albany ... A Jazz Life and read more...