Biography Miff Mole

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 as one of the greatest jazz trombonists and credited with creating the first distinctive and influential solo jazz trombone style.

Miff Mole was born in Roosevelt, New York. As a child, he studied violin and piano 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 Russ 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.

When Jack Teagarden arrived in New York in 1928, he quickly replaced Mole as the new role model for trombonists, with a more legato, blues-oriented approach. Mole, having started working for radio in 1927 (at WOR), changed his focus to working with NBC (1929–38). In 1938–40 he was a member of Paul Whiteman's orchestra, but his style by then had changed under the influence of Teagarden. In 1942–3 Mole played in Benny Goodman's orchestra, and between 1942–7 he led various dixieland bands. He worked in Chicago in 1947–54.

Due to bad health, Mole played very sporadically during his last years. He became a regular at Nick's in Manhattan, where he played with Pee Wee Russell, Baby Dodds, and others. Miff Mole died—broke—in New York City in 1961. A benefit gig to raise money for him took place just too late. He was buried in a pauper's grave

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