Miff Mole
| Miff Mole | |
|---|---|
Miff Mole at Nick's Tavern, c. June 1946; photo by William P. Gottlieb
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Irving Milfred Mole |
| Born |
March 11, 1898 Roosevelt, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 29, 1961 (aged 63) |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Trombone |
| Associated acts | Miff Mole and his (Little) Molers |
Irving Milfred Mole, better known as Miff Mole (11 March 1898 – 29 April 1961) was a jazz trombonist and band leader. He is generally considered one of the greatest jazz trombonists and credited with creating "the first distinctive and influential solo jazz trombone style." His major recordings included "Slippin' Around", "Red Hot Mama" in 1924 with Sophie Tucker on vocals, "Miff's Blues", "There'll Come a Time (Wait and See)", on the film soundtrack to the 2008 movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and "Toddlin' Blues" and "Davenport Blues", recorded in 1925 with Bix Beiderbecke and Tommy Dorsey as Bix Beiderbecke and His Rhythm Jugglers.
Miff Mole was born in Roosevelt, New York. He studied violin and piano as a child and switched to trombone when he was 15. He played in Gus Sharp's orchestra for two years and in the 1920s went on to become a significant figure of the New York scene: he was a member of the Original Memphis Five (1922), played with Ross Gorman, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Sam Lanin, Ray Miller and many others. His other activities, like those of many jazz musicians at the time, included working for silent film and radio orchestras. In 1926–9 Mole and trumpeter Red Nichols led a band called "Miff Mole and His Little Molers". They recorded frequently until 1930.
Miff Mole and his band the Molers backed Sophie Tucker who was known as "The Last Of The Red Hot Mammas" and who was one of the most popular singers of the Teens and 1920s. Mole and his band supported her on her 1927 Okeh recordings of "After You've Gone", "Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong", "I Ain't Got Nobody", and "One Sweet Letter From You". Miff Mole and his band, which included Eddie Lang, Jimmy Dorsey, Red Nichols, and Vic Berton, also backed her during her live performances.
It can not be overstated how influential Mole's OKeh records (1927-1930) were. 26 of the 28 were instrumental and Mole selected classic Dixieland tunes, as well as some current popular hit songs. Clean copies have always been highly prized by collectors.
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