Emil Mangelsdorff, born on April 11, 1925, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, was a jazz musician, saxophonist, and flutist. He initially played the accordion before switching to the clarinet at Dr. Hoch’s Konservatorium in Frankfurt from 1942 to 1943. After World War II, Mangelsdorff joined the Frankfurt Jazz scene, playing with various groups including Joe Klimm and Jutta Hipp. He was also jazz-pedagogically active, leading a Jazz class at the Frankfurter Jugendmusikschule from 1960 to 1966. In 1966, he formed the Swinging Oil Drops. Throughout his career, Mangelsdorff released notable albums such as Meditation (1994) and This Side Up (1998). Mangelsdorff received several awards, including the Goethe-Plakette des Landes Hessen in 2006 and the Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in 2008. He passed away on January 21, 2022.
