| 1. II B.S. |
| 2. I X Love |
| 3. Celia |
| 4. Mood Indigo |
| 5. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul |
| 6. Theme for Lester Young (Goodbye Pork Pie Hat) |
| 7. Hora Decubitus |
| 8. Freedom [*] |
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Cobbled from two sessions in 1963, this is one of Charles Mingus's stormiest recordings. From the blues-painted bass moaning that opens "II BS," a faster vamp on "Haitian Fight Song," to the blazing fire of "Hora Decubitis," these tunes come furiously barreling out one after another. Speed and density aside, however, there are also multicolor, lovely tunes like Ellington's "Mood Indigo" and Mingus's paean to Lester Young (elsewhere dubbed "Goodbye Porkpie Hat"). More than anything, though, this is a major document thanks to the presence of the big ensemble, harmonized by the late Jaki Byard on piano and fronted by a herd of horn-players, Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin chief among them. --Andrew Bartlett
thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.
Two weeks ago it all clicked. Mingus simply takes a little while longer to digest than her earlier albums. By this point Joni had honed her skills and her voice had never sounded better. Infact, I'd go as far as to say that her voice doesn't sound better on any other album. It's rich and velvety; much more matured than the high yelp she became famous for a decade previously, and much smoother than the throaty cooing of this past decade as a result of 50 years heavy smoking. Joni was heavy influenced by jazz legend Charles Mingus during the record process. The album is pretty much a dedication to him. By surrounding herself with such a wonderful crop of musicians as Eddie Gomez, John Guerin, Herbie Hancock and of course Pastorius, Joni made one of the best albums in her already prestigious cannon - and arguably the most underrated.
The album opens with "Happy Birthday 1975 (Rap)" which is almost one minute long. If there is one down side to this stunning album it's that there's actually only six proper songs here, despite there being eleven tracks; five are raps. It fits in well with the overall theme, but I would've preferred a more solid collection of songs. Either that or this would've made a stunning EP. This track is a simple tape recording of Charles' birthday in 1975 where his wife is arguing about how old he is. It leads swiftly into the beautiful "God Must Be A Boogie Man." This is the only song that Charles didn't hear before the album's release due to his untimely death. Joni has famously said that she thinks he would've found this song hilarious which is probably true. The song opens like a peacefully lullaby from beyond, it's stunning. It also opens much like "Overture" from Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Pastorius is on fine form as usual. The vocal delivery is so perfectly attuned to the music though, which is what impresses me the most. The lyrics are so beautiful and I love how the first line is delivered with such peace and calmitude; "He is three, one's in the middle unmoved."
"Funeral (Rap)" is another taped conversation between Swede and Charles where they discuss the latter's funeral and what it's going to be like. "A Chair In The Sky" is absolutely stunning. I feel like I'm on a trip when I listen and sing along to this. I could just sit in a rocking chair going back and forth with my eyes closed and feel like I'm falling right through the sky. The vocal delivery is so stunning, Joni's knowledge of when the notes should be drawn out is very impressive. She knows exactly how to play it, and there's nothing more I love than to sing along. I swear it's good for the soul. I feel like a new man every time I hear it. The instrumentation is drawn out in places; this is quite a lengthy track and the instruments just brew away in a sea of smoke beneath Joni's soaring vocal. "The Wolf That Lives In Lindsay" is probably one of my favourite Joni songs of all time. After dismissing it for so long (the guitar scraped my nerves) I finally gave it the time and attention it deserves. The opening verse is amazing; "Of the darkness in men's minds, what can you say, that wasn't marked by history, or the T.V. news today." Joni's soaring vocals are drawn out to mimic the sound of howling wolves on lines such as, "It comes and goes." She's so smart this woman, I adore her. The actual howling of wolves adds a chilling element to the entire song and the guitar feels like sharp footprints scarring a frozen and rugged winter landscape.
"I's A Muggin' (Rap)" is a rather pointless but funny interlude, followed by "Sweet Sucker Dance." This is the longest song on the album at over eight minutes. I love the first few seconds. That little back and forth reverb is so poignant. It's just something I need to hear every now and then. The entire song is wonderful, however. Some critics disagree and I was one of them at first, but all these songs really need is repeated listening and they come up on you like old friends. "Coin In The Pocket (Rap)" is another very short interlude but again I find it mildly amusing. It's followed by "The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines," which is the most upbeat song here and would've been a big hit single in a just world. This song is so stunning and Joni really gets her jazz out. The lyrics are very well-placed, the vocal delivery almost impossible to keep up with, and the pitch at which she sings ensures you have to adjust your voice to be brimming with excitement and joy to even attempt in reciting along with her. My favourite line is "I talked to a cat from Des Moines!" I just love how she sings it! The brass on this song is amazing, it sounds so fresh and new, even 28 years after it was released. "Lucky (Rap)" is followed by "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," clearly a tribute to the passed Lester and a fitting closing song for the album. Joni and Mingus work magic on this brilliant track.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
This album is so scatterbrained and sporadic that I can only place certain chords and words, which means that I keep coming back for more and more. I've listened to this album so much in the past couple of weeks and I think I will continue to. I wouldn't even place it in my top five of a Joni Mitchell album ranking such is the level of her genius, but make no mistake, this is an album of the highest order and if you're any true Joni fan you will embrace it with open arms. Stick with it, because it has something that none of her other albums do. I can't quite place it, but it's there and it's distinctive and unique. Criminally underrated.
Some tracks are a touch more quirk than entertainment (audience is optional) and the spoken (Mingus) word, however reverential, slows momentum - but when the band is on, they is ON; they yank the jukebox right outta heaven, drunk with hoedown jive and twist it into fine little splinters of delirious jamming. "Dry Cleaner" must be the single awesomest performance of JM, WS and JP ever in one place - what a funk fusion meltdown for the masses! All in all big, fat healthyass pill of intellectual gorgeousness. Joni's very best singing.
Can anyone imagine Dylan keeping up with Jaco?
Charles Mingus sent for Joni Mitchell; she didn't ask to be a part of his final recording. However, it's incredible for us that she agreed. It may take a bit of a stretch for fans of early work to reach the point of appreciation, but it's worth the effort. Much great jazz requires a little work on the part of the listener, but it's certainly rewarding.
" The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" pops! Joni scats here, drawing the color out of a bleak life. " God Must Be a Boogie Man" may need a little background knowledge of Charles Mingus, but once that is obtained, what a tribute! Personally, I like to think that God Himself is a boogie Man. The rythem of life suggests this is true.
The " raps" interspersed through the album are a bit distracting, but an understandable addition given the album's concept. Joni never did pure jazz before or since, but broaden your horizons and embrace the brief departure!
"Of the darkness in men's minds
What can you say
That wasn't marked by history
Or the TV news today
He gets away with murder
The blizzards come and go
The stab and glare and buckshot
Of the heavy heavy snow
It comes and goes
It comes and goes"
"Mingus" is a wild & unique gem in Joni's catalogue. it's very much well worth it. Highly recommended.
Pithecanthropus Erectus was my introduction to Mingus so many years ago,and I have bought just about everything he and the new groups above have released since then.
Impossible to imagine this original, inventive and simply beautiful music on this album was first released 50 years ago. No one, but no one, can create music like this today. Mingus was trully a genius and it seems he is getting more and more recognition of this.
If your just getting into Mingus's music, this album is a must. The playing by Mingus and the other great young, swinging musicians on this date is more than just creative, and each of the players seems to be just perfect for this masterpiece, which contains some of Charles Mingus's best compositions
Atlantic Records, PLEASE RELEASE A RE-MASTERED VERSION OF IT.Done correctly, today's techknowlogy could do wonders for it. So many lesser albums by lesser artist have been re-mastered. WHY NOT THIS!
The title track is one of Mingus' best works, a daring sonic exploration of blah, blah, blah... point is, it's a tone poem about the rise and fall of Pithecanthropus Erectus (a species Mingus apparently made up) that's one of his best extended pieces ever. Next up is A Foggy Day (In San Francisco)... man, that is some weird s#!%. It's the audio equivalent of Mingus mooning the jazz purists, with all kinds of real-life sounds (trolleys, sirens, etc.) made by instruments. Free-jazz before it was called free-jazz, or even anti-jazz. Pure insanity. I love it. Meanwhile, Profile of Jackie is Mingus for traditionalists, a lovely little three-minute sax solo.
So far, this seems like Mingus' masterpiece, right? Well, it came remarkably close. Enter Love Chant. I can't really get into that one - it just goes nowhere over its fifteen minutes and really bores me. Normally I wouldn't let one song bring an album down an entire star, but that's one of four. But it's a five-star if you're willing to hit "stop" before Love Chant, for sure!
The album's four tracks (about forty minutes of music) are each classics in their own right-- three Mingus originals and one Gershwin standard ("A Foggy Day"). All four feature fantastic arrangements, in particular the Gershwin piece that finds Mingus at his most inventive-- tenor sax fog horns, alto siren wails, scratching basses, slide whistles and so on. But in between these excursions is a fantastic swing and a monster bass solo. But as good as this is, its probably the title track that's best known-- a difficult, start-stop rhythmic piece with bizarre tempo changes and fierce group improvisation, its justifiably considered one of the greats in Mingus' catalog. The remaining two tracks ("Profile of Jackie" and "Love Chant") are no slouches either-- the former features a brilliant, wailing theme stated on alto, the latter starts as a rolling piano ballad before breaking into a fierce swing for the solo sections.
In all, a great album of Mingus' music. I'd start with "Mingus Ah Um", but this may be where to look next. Essential.
This aint your Grandad's big band.
As I said, we owe Sue Mingus a huge debt of gratitude. Mingus was one of a kind, and especially live, as his enthusiastic howls in the course of "Once Upon a Time..." demonstrate. This is bold, adventurous and as out there as Miles, Trane and the Ornette from this volatile period.
Charles Mingus At UCLA 1965 is a no holds barred, unapologetic look at Mingus' genius; the frustration, anger and ultimate exaltation he felt while his music took shape. Originally released as an LP in 1967, Mingus was only able to press 200 of the double album set before running out of money. A few years later, Mingus discovered the masters had been destroyed when Capitol Records cleaned out their vaults. This CD set, put out by Mingus' widow on her Sue Mingus Music label, is a testament to the contentious style her husband employed to re-create the art that burnished his soul.
To say this album is brilliant doesn't do it justice. There aren't enough superlatives in the English language to describe the effect this album will have on any Mingus or jazz aficionado. Mingus' sterling backup band on this album includes Hobart Dotson on and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpets; Jimmy Owens on flugelhorn and trumpet, Charles McPherson on alto saxophone, Julius Watkins on French horn, Howard Johnson on tuba, and Dannie Richmond on drums are all impeccable, even though after a few false starts on "Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America" Mingus dismisses Dotson, Owens, Watkins and Johnson "to the back room to figure this thing out." It's not malicious--some of the compositions were so raw at the time of this concert its surprising there weren't more false starts then there were. Although some may not appreciate the rough edginess of the songs Mingus workshops, these unpolished gems give listeners the opportunity to explore with Mingus as the compositions ascend from drafts to a final product that has Mingus shouting in joyful acknowledgement of completion. It's a searing experience.
As a quartet, Mingus, Hillyer, McPherson and Richmond do a shattering version of "Ode To Bird and Dizzy", and the full octet shines on "They Trespass the Land of the Sacred Sioux", "The Arts of Tatum and Freddy Webster", "Muskrat Ramble", and "Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too". The album ends with "Don't Let It Happen Here", a Mingus poem which is a vanguard in response to current political turmoil.
Charles Mingus was years ahead of his time, constantly pushing the boundaries of jazz to its furthest extremes. Nearly thirty years after his death, musicians are still untangling Mingus' complex compositions, adding their own bents to his musical vision. The re-released document of the 1965 UCLA workshop further enhances Mingus' vision and will keep new composers busy for a long time trying to capture his magic in their own work.
Mingus had planned to premiere a large body of compositions at the September 1965 Monterey Festival, but his time on stage was limited to under thirty minutes, precluding the performance of most of the new material. A week later, the bassist-leader and his ensemble would perform the complete concert at UCLA. Subsequently, Mingus would obtain the tape made by amateur UCLA sound technicians and press a mere 200 double-LP sets for sale on his own mail-order label. The music has not been released on CD until now.
The listener can't help but notice that Mingus is surprisingly sensitive to his youthful student audience, at one point catching and practically reprimanding himself for using the word "hell" in their presence. It's true that following two false starts on one of the compositions ("Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America"), he first berates his musicians (the most humorous moment on the recording), then dismisses half the band for their "mental tardiness," sentencing them backstage to get their act together. But the temperamental leader evidences an equal amount of love and respect for his musicians during the program.
As for the music itself, start with Mingus' choice of the instrumentation for his octet. It could be argued that the three trumpet players get in each other's way and, furthermore, do not serve to strengthen the textures of Mingus' bass-led harmonic progressions. Perhaps Julius Watkins' French horn was chosen to cover some of the registers normally assigned to Jimmy Knepper's trombone as well as to afford opportunities for satiric commentary (given the instrument's iconic association with "legit" music). At least the inclusion of Howard Johnson's tuba makes eminent sense, not only because of its undeniable contribution to the Dixieland number ("Muskrat Ramble") but because it permits Mingus to switch to piano without any drop-out in the bass part.
Although it's clear that Mingus isn't happy with the music until the second half, the present listener may have a preference for the music on the first disc, in part because of its superior audio quality. The opening composition, "Meditation On Inner Peace," is a stunning invitation, featuring the leader playing a rich bowed solo in the cello register over an unabated drone tone supplied by tuba. Gradually the mournful musical prayer acquires intensity as the other players make their individual contributions to the surging layered threnody, which reaches a sonic and emotional climax with the addition of drummer Dannie Richmond's percussive thunder.
Despite considerable distortion on the CD, the audience is clearly impressed by trumpeter Hobart Dotson's soloing leading off the second half, and Mingus is so unmistakably pleased that he expresses regret the band did not start there, proclaiming "everything is fine now." The ensemble remains in Mingus's good graces thoughout the third, primarily successful, attempt to perform "Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called America," during which Mingus is at his manic best, hollering to his old pal, Dannie Richmond, "Love, Dee. It's you and me." Soon the joyous leader is singing along with the music in a piercing falsetto, perhaps to feed the musicians their parts but more likely to express his irrepressible ecstasy over its successful realization. Unfortunately, the singing adds to the considerable audio distortion, directing attention away from the music itself to its effect on its creator.
Some listeners will no doubt dismiss this latest Mingus entry as marginally listenable music obviously recorded by non-professional technicians--perhaps an understandable reaction. But to the extent that Mingus' name and mystique extend beyond his music, continuing to attract and fascinate new listeners, this recording of the enigmatic, volatile composer's UCLA performance could be regarded as an indispensable "document," filling in another piece of the puzzle that is the artist while providing privileged insights into the creative process itself. Altoist Charles McPherson is quoted as saying that learning the music was especially trying as the composer not only denied the musicians written parts but changed his mind every day. Mingus represents not merely the burden of artistic genius but the composing process in each of us writ large. Far from being a megalomaniac or fixed ego, he's the insecure child persistently, valiantly, heroically working to assemble a genuine human identity, which for any of us must necessarily be a work in process. Or, as his widow Sue quotes him, "I'm trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it's difficult is because I'm changing all the time."
By the way, although I haven't heard the unremastered version and therefore cannot make comparisons regarding sound quality, it's well worth the extra couple of dollars to get the four bonus tracks of the remastered version. The "Old Jelly Roll Soul" outtake - a full 11 minutes long, more than double length of the original album version - is a highlight of the whole CD, not just of the bonus tracks.
Perhaps it was just because he didn't really perfect the bluesy approach until the Oh Yeah/Ah Um period, which was still a couple years away at this point (in 1959, Mingus was still steeped in the avant-garde - this was the time of The Clown and Pithecanthropus Erectus, two far surperior albums, after all). Regardless, I see this as a mere footnote in the Mingus catalogue, rather than a dominant presence.
"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" starts things off. Though quite similar to "You'd Better Git It in Your Soul", its melody is more simple. However, the ensemble playing is white hot and Booker Ervin takes another one of his "sermon" solos over handclaps. "Cryin' Blues" is the shortest track and features intense playing by Jackie McLean. "Moanin'", my personal favorite on the album, begins with a naaaaaaaasty baritone riff by Pepper Adams that slowly expands into raucous collective improvisation by the group. "Tensions" is a similar tune, though at a slightly lower temperature. "My Jelly Roll Soul" is almost exactly the same tune as "Jelly Roll" from Ah Um. "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" (recorded elsewhere as "Hora Decubitus") closes the album with a blistering, swinging ride.
The strength of the album, besides the memorable riff-based compositions, is the blending of collective improvisation with strong solo performances. Ervin, McLean, Adams, John Handy, Jimmy Knepper and Willie Dennis are the perfect frontline for this kind of mix, and Mingus is just the right "conductor" to kick things along. If you like Mingus, or are merely curious about his music, Blues & Roots is essential listening.
(One caveat: the sound on this deluxe edition, as on most Atlantic jazz albums from this period, is terrible.)
The first time I heard Mingus wail in the background of that song, my heart sprang up out my throat. I haven't seen it since.
Now try "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting."
While you're at it, you might as well check out the rest, but keep in mind that these songs have twists and turns that can only be experienced when you hear the entire song. You might as well just buy the CD. You can thank me later.
I must side with a tiny minority in judging this album of three jazz giants as overrated, though certainly not grossly. The album seems to find these players manipulating traditional forms moreso then arranging new ones. Anybody steeped in the genre would probably never allow this one out of their collection (Ellington fans in particular are treated to a rare and unhinged treat), but the combined strained effort does not add up to the masterpiece one would expect from these worthy musicians. Spending the majority of time between over-cooked experimentation and auto-piloted bop, rarely does the music flow as it seemingly should; forget about any intra-band tensions or any of that esoteric nonsense, an abundance of showy overplaying and jarring, ego-centric competition robs Money Jungle of much true musical tension. It does sometimes feel that bass work from the exceptional though difficult Charlie Mingus intentionally goes out of it's way to further smear any cohesiveness between the trio. As underwhelming as it's pedigree may suggest, the album still maintains a level of technical proficiency that cannot be denied from an objective standpoint, playing out like a good, but not great, avant garde-meets-traditional Jazz work from the early 60's.
Most of the material was written especially for the session and there are some wonderful compositions here. Like a lot of Ellingtons material they all sound deceptively simple. However my favourite track is their version of 'Caravan'. This is a thunderous version with Ellington playing the melody lower down the Piano than you would normally expect. Perhaps he did this just wind Mingus up - who knows. Anyway its a stunning performance by all 3 of them.
This is a must-have Jazz Trio album by Ellington, who is frequently forgotten when great Jazz Pianists are mentioned, because of his superb writing and arranging skills. This shows off his playing skills better than any other album I know.
Cobbled from two sessions in 1963, this is one of Charles Mingus's stormiest recordings. From the blues-painted bass moaning that opens "II BS," a faster vamp on "Haitian Fight Song," to the blazing fire of "Hora Decubitis," these tunes come furiously barreling out one after another. Speed and density aside, however, there are also multicolor, lovely tunes like Ellington's "Mood Indigo" and Mingus's paean to Lester Young (elsewhere dubbed "Goodbye Porkpie Hat"). More than anything, though, this is a major document thanks to the presence of the big ensemble, harmonized by the late Jaki Byard on piano and fronted by a herd of horn-players, Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin chief among them. --Andrew Bartlett
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus,Charles Mingus,Grp Records,Jazz,Pop,Post-Bop,Progressive Big Band
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Cornell 1964
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Bebop General
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ASIN: B000R7G77G Release Date: 2007-07-17 |
Tracks:
- Opening
- ATFW You
- Sophisticated Lady
- Fables Of Faubus
- Orange Was the Coulour Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk
- That the 'A' Train
Tracks:
- Meditations
- So Long Eric
- When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
- Jitterbug Waltz
Amazon.com
The band that Charles Mingus, the doyen of jazz's mercurial polymaths, pulled together for his early-1964 European tour was phenomenal—and here they are playing 130 minutes worth of live music no one's ever heard. Pianist Jaki Byard, alto saxophonist/flutist/bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy, tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, trumpeter Johnny Coles, and longtime drummer Dannie Richmond came together for the Mingus tour knowing that Dolphy would be staying in Europe after their gigs—he died tragically just 12 weeks after this gig. And Coles would come perilously close to death himself with a stomach ulcer within a month of the band's Cornell date, forcing him off the tour. So the music here is particularly special and musically resplendent. There is considerable overlap with the The Great Concert of Charles Mingus, but that 2-CD set is sans the ailing Coles, who fattens the sound here: playing beautifully as "Johnny O'Coles" on the unlikely "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." But Eric Dolphy, his every breath is poetry: from his palpitating bass clarinet on the pugnacious "Fables of Faubus" to the tipsy, whirling flute he plays on "Jitterbug Waltz," a tune he loved playing. The sound here is less crisp than The Great Concert, thick in the middle and ill-defined when it comes to Richmond's drums, leaving the group's interplay like an ear-magnet. "Take the 'A' Train" pays soulful, blossoming homage to Billy Strayhorn even as you can hear the band tightening their grip collectively, learning to fly as a unit. Unheard music of this caliber demands a listen, and here the rewards are bountiful. --Andrew Bartlett
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Mingus Ah Um
Charles Mingus Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B00000I14Z Release Date: 1999-02-16 |
Tracks:
- Better Git It In Your Soul
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
- Boogie Stop Shuffle
- Self-Portrait In Three Colors
- Open Letter To Duke
- Bird Calls
- Fables Of Faubus
- Pussy Cat Dues
- Jelly Roll
- Pedal Point Blues
- GG Train
- Girl Of My Dreams
Amazon.com
Mercurial bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus was signed to Columbia Records for the briefest of time during 1959. His Columbia recordings, however, remain some of the most inspired, mood-jumping jazz in history. The flowing sadness of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" (unedited here for the first time on CD!) rings like a funeral chorus that pitches headlong into a celebration of Lester Young's life and improvising flexibility, rather than his death. And there's the funky furnace blast of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (also unedited!), which reaches its glory with Booker Ervin's Texas tenor sax, wrapped tight in bluesy tone. With the index of emotions captured, these songs nail why Mingus is possibly the most relevant jazzer for the '90s generation. He swings and shouts and hollers and somersaults. His tunes either induce foot-stomping with their intensity or reach for poignant yearning with their lyrical tapestry of orchestral colors. --Andrew BartlettAlbum Details
Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.Customer Reviews:
every once in awhile..........2007-03-08
thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.
MINGUS' BEST.......2006-12-10
An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus.......2006-03-31
How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus.......2006-03-17
A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece.......2006-01-20
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Mingus
Joni Mitchell Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000002GWV Release Date: 1979-01-01 |
Tracks:
- Happy Birthday
- God Must Be A Boogie Man
- Funeral
- A Chair In The Sky
- The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
- I's A Muggin'
- Sweet Sucker Dance
- Coin In The Pocket
- The Dry Cleaners From Des Moines
- Lucky
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Customer Reviews:
A Sea Of Smoke.......2007-06-30
Two weeks ago it all clicked. Mingus simply takes a little while longer to digest than her earlier albums. By this point Joni had honed her skills and her voice had never sounded better. Infact, I'd go as far as to say that her voice doesn't sound better on any other album. It's rich and velvety; much more matured than the high yelp she became famous for a decade previously, and much smoother than the throaty cooing of this past decade as a result of 50 years heavy smoking. Joni was heavy influenced by jazz legend Charles Mingus during the record process. The album is pretty much a dedication to him. By surrounding herself with such a wonderful crop of musicians as Eddie Gomez, John Guerin, Herbie Hancock and of course Pastorius, Joni made one of the best albums in her already prestigious cannon - and arguably the most underrated.
The album opens with "Happy Birthday 1975 (Rap)" which is almost one minute long. If there is one down side to this stunning album it's that there's actually only six proper songs here, despite there being eleven tracks; five are raps. It fits in well with the overall theme, but I would've preferred a more solid collection of songs. Either that or this would've made a stunning EP. This track is a simple tape recording of Charles' birthday in 1975 where his wife is arguing about how old he is. It leads swiftly into the beautiful "God Must Be A Boogie Man." This is the only song that Charles didn't hear before the album's release due to his untimely death. Joni has famously said that she thinks he would've found this song hilarious which is probably true. The song opens like a peacefully lullaby from beyond, it's stunning. It also opens much like "Overture" from Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Pastorius is on fine form as usual. The vocal delivery is so perfectly attuned to the music though, which is what impresses me the most. The lyrics are so beautiful and I love how the first line is delivered with such peace and calmitude; "He is three, one's in the middle unmoved."
"Funeral (Rap)" is another taped conversation between Swede and Charles where they discuss the latter's funeral and what it's going to be like. "A Chair In The Sky" is absolutely stunning. I feel like I'm on a trip when I listen and sing along to this. I could just sit in a rocking chair going back and forth with my eyes closed and feel like I'm falling right through the sky. The vocal delivery is so stunning, Joni's knowledge of when the notes should be drawn out is very impressive. She knows exactly how to play it, and there's nothing more I love than to sing along. I swear it's good for the soul. I feel like a new man every time I hear it. The instrumentation is drawn out in places; this is quite a lengthy track and the instruments just brew away in a sea of smoke beneath Joni's soaring vocal. "The Wolf That Lives In Lindsay" is probably one of my favourite Joni songs of all time. After dismissing it for so long (the guitar scraped my nerves) I finally gave it the time and attention it deserves. The opening verse is amazing; "Of the darkness in men's minds, what can you say, that wasn't marked by history, or the T.V. news today." Joni's soaring vocals are drawn out to mimic the sound of howling wolves on lines such as, "It comes and goes." She's so smart this woman, I adore her. The actual howling of wolves adds a chilling element to the entire song and the guitar feels like sharp footprints scarring a frozen and rugged winter landscape.
"I's A Muggin' (Rap)" is a rather pointless but funny interlude, followed by "Sweet Sucker Dance." This is the longest song on the album at over eight minutes. I love the first few seconds. That little back and forth reverb is so poignant. It's just something I need to hear every now and then. The entire song is wonderful, however. Some critics disagree and I was one of them at first, but all these songs really need is repeated listening and they come up on you like old friends. "Coin In The Pocket (Rap)" is another very short interlude but again I find it mildly amusing. It's followed by "The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines," which is the most upbeat song here and would've been a big hit single in a just world. This song is so stunning and Joni really gets her jazz out. The lyrics are very well-placed, the vocal delivery almost impossible to keep up with, and the pitch at which she sings ensures you have to adjust your voice to be brimming with excitement and joy to even attempt in reciting along with her. My favourite line is "I talked to a cat from Des Moines!" I just love how she sings it! The brass on this song is amazing, it sounds so fresh and new, even 28 years after it was released. "Lucky (Rap)" is followed by "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," clearly a tribute to the passed Lester and a fitting closing song for the album. Joni and Mingus work magic on this brilliant track.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
This album is so scatterbrained and sporadic that I can only place certain chords and words, which means that I keep coming back for more and more. I've listened to this album so much in the past couple of weeks and I think I will continue to. I wouldn't even place it in my top five of a Joni Mitchell album ranking such is the level of her genius, but make no mistake, this is an album of the highest order and if you're any true Joni fan you will embrace it with open arms. Stick with it, because it has something that none of her other albums do. I can't quite place it, but it's there and it's distinctive and unique. Criminally underrated.
Jazz therapy (is good for you).......2007-03-27
Some tracks are a touch more quirk than entertainment (audience is optional) and the spoken (Mingus) word, however reverential, slows momentum - but when the band is on, they is ON; they yank the jukebox right outta heaven, drunk with hoedown jive and twist it into fine little splinters of delirious jamming. "Dry Cleaner" must be the single awesomest performance of JM, WS and JP ever in one place - what a funk fusion meltdown for the masses! All in all big, fat healthyass pill of intellectual gorgeousness. Joni's very best singing.
Can anyone imagine Dylan keeping up with Jaco?
Joni Does Jazz .......2007-03-11
Charles Mingus sent for Joni Mitchell; she didn't ask to be a part of his final recording. However, it's incredible for us that she agreed. It may take a bit of a stretch for fans of early work to reach the point of appreciation, but it's worth the effort. Much great jazz requires a little work on the part of the listener, but it's certainly rewarding.
" The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" pops! Joni scats here, drawing the color out of a bleak life. " God Must Be a Boogie Man" may need a little background knowledge of Charles Mingus, but once that is obtained, what a tribute! Personally, I like to think that God Himself is a boogie Man. The rythem of life suggests this is true.
The " raps" interspersed through the album are a bit distracting, but an understandable addition given the album's concept. Joni never did pure jazz before or since, but broaden your horizons and embrace the brief departure!
excellence in the year i graduated from high school!.......2006-10-02
A wonderful jazz euphoria........2005-11-14
"Of the darkness in men's minds
What can you say
That wasn't marked by history
Or the TV news today
He gets away with murder
The blizzards come and go
The stab and glare and buckshot
Of the heavy heavy snow
It comes and goes
It comes and goes"
"Mingus" is a wild & unique gem in Joni's catalogue. it's very much well worth it. Highly recommended.
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The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus Manufacturer: Grp Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000003N81 Release Date: 1995-11-07 |
Tracks:
- Solo Dancer
- Duet Solo Dancers
- Group Dancers
- Trio And Group Dancers
Amazon.com essential recording
This 1963 recording occupies a special place in Mingus's work, his most brilliantly realized extended composition. The six-part suite is a broad canvas for the bassist's tumultuous passions, ranging from islands of serenity for solo guitar and piano to waves of contrapuntal conflict and accelerating rhythms that pull the listener into the musical psychodrama. It seems to mingle and transform both the heights and clichés of jazz orchestration, from Mingus's master, Duke Ellington, to film noir soundtracks. The result is a masterpiece of sounds and textures, from the astonishing vocal effects of the plunger-muted trumpets and trombone (seeming to speak messages just beyond the range of understanding) to the soaring romantic alto of Charlie Mariano. Boiling beneath it all are the teeming, congested rhythms of Mingus and drummer Dannie Richmond and the deep morass of tuba and baritone saxophone. This is one of the greatest works in jazz composition, and it's remarkable that Mingus dredged this much emotional power from a group of just 11 musicians. --Stuart BroomerCustomer Reviews:
WoW.......2007-05-29
exuberant and powerful jazz........2007-02-21
Mingus At the Top of His Game.......2007-01-13
Everything.......2006-12-27
Churning, intense.......2006-12-10
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Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings
Charles Mingus Manufacturer: Sunny Side Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000P46QC2 Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Tracks:
- I Left My Heart In San Francisco
- Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
- Peggy's Blue Skylight
- Love Is a Dangerous Necessity
- Blue Bird
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
Tracks:
- Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
- Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
- Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
- Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
- Peggy's Blue Skylight
- Peggy's Blue Skylight
- Peggy's Blue Skylight
- Peggy's Blue Skylight
- Blue Bird
- Reprise
- Love Is a Dangerous Necessity
- Love Is a Dangerous Necessity
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
Amazon.com
Thankfully, the brains behind this double-disc reissue of two almost forgotten 1970 sessions determined that the first CD should be simply the six tracks originally released on the America label. The false starts and incomplete and alternate takes are left for the second disc. This way, the album closes properly -- in a fit of passion, with Mingus's sextet spinning intense yarns out of "Pithecanthropus Erectus," a tune un-recorded in the studio since 1956. Here, Jaki Byard gets a midnight solo, wobbling on the rails between his well-known clustering talent and his deeply lyrical bent. Bobby Jones on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, and Eddie Preston on trumpet offer a variety of predispositions, mostly post-bop but certainly aware of the tonal advances Eric Dolphy made with Mingus. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is lovely, slightly tense - which helps with the drama, and "Peggy's Blue Skylight" is dynamic and lazily vigorous. As for the second disc, it's instructional in how Mingus the bandleader thought and led: beyond that, it's for the initiates only. Keep in mind that these tunes comprise the first studio album Mingus made after Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus and show the bassist returning to the forge, readying himself for the great stuff yet to come with George Adams and Don Pullen. --Andrew BartlettProduct Description
This was recorded on October 31st 1970 in a single, sleepless night, the fleeting space of a session that took place almost undetected, and in a sort of urgent calm. The scene was a deserted Decca studio on the rue Beaujon, a stone's throw from the Champs-Élysées. From both a historical and a musical standpoint, this unexpected session it was anything but premeditated undeniably stands apart in the bassist's work; originally released as two records (Pithycanthropus Erectus and Blue Bird), and here reissued for the first time in its entire, intimate dramaturgy, the recordings constitute precious and moving testimony to one of the least-documented periods of his exceptional career; with hindsight, it was a period that saw the decisive moment when, after years of doubt and silence, Mingus found a new confidence, and his faith in his music; it was the instant when he began his final, creative resurrection.Customer Reviews:
Fantasy released this in the 1970's.......2007-05-24
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Pithecanthropus Erectus
Charles Mingus Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000002I7U Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Pithecanthropus Erectus
- A Foggy Day
- Profile of Jackie
- Love Chant
Amazon.com essential recording
One of the great figures in modern jazz, bassist Charles Mingus was the ultimate triple threat: a master of his instrument, a jazz composer of the first rank, and an insightful leader of a series of extraordinary and incendiary bands. Raised in Los Angeles, Mingus was a devotee of Duke Ellington, whose compositional style had an unsurpassed effect on the young composer. As a player, however, Mingus was drawn to his contemporaries, who included Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, and Max Roach (indeed, Roach and Mingus co-owned their own Debut Records during the '50s). Perhaps his greatest contribution was bridging the gap between those two generations: in Mingus's music, one could always explicitly hear the continuity between the big bands and the bebop era, the affinity between the romantic and the modern. Although he had recorded extensively for numerous labels including his own Debut Records, Mingus's relationship with Atlantic would yield many of his greatest recordings. Cut in 1956, Pithecanthropus Erectus was his first date for the label, and it provided something of a breakthrough for Mingus in his use of extended compositions: the 10-minute title track, and the lovely "Profile of Jackie," are among the bassist's finest recordings. The band is notable for the inclusion of the under-recorded tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose. --Fred GoodmanCustomer Reviews:
I played the vinyl to death when I first heard this. Wish they would RE-MASTER it.......2007-07-02
Pithecanthropus Erectus was my introduction to Mingus so many years ago,and I have bought just about everything he and the new groups above have released since then.
Impossible to imagine this original, inventive and simply beautiful music on this album was first released 50 years ago. No one, but no one, can create music like this today. Mingus was trully a genius and it seems he is getting more and more recognition of this.
If your just getting into Mingus's music, this album is a must. The playing by Mingus and the other great young, swinging musicians on this date is more than just creative, and each of the players seems to be just perfect for this masterpiece, which contains some of Charles Mingus's best compositions
Atlantic Records, PLEASE RELEASE A RE-MASTERED VERSION OF IT.Done correctly, today's techknowlogy could do wonders for it. So many lesser albums by lesser artist have been re-mastered. WHY NOT THIS!
Brilliant loopy jazz for muppets.......2007-05-24
Bring back the original cover art! .......2007-03-14
The title track is one of Mingus' best works, a daring sonic exploration of blah, blah, blah... point is, it's a tone poem about the rise and fall of Pithecanthropus Erectus (a species Mingus apparently made up) that's one of his best extended pieces ever. Next up is A Foggy Day (In San Francisco)... man, that is some weird s#!%. It's the audio equivalent of Mingus mooning the jazz purists, with all kinds of real-life sounds (trolleys, sirens, etc.) made by instruments. Free-jazz before it was called free-jazz, or even anti-jazz. Pure insanity. I love it. Meanwhile, Profile of Jackie is Mingus for traditionalists, a lovely little three-minute sax solo.
So far, this seems like Mingus' masterpiece, right? Well, it came remarkably close. Enter Love Chant. I can't really get into that one - it just goes nowhere over its fifteen minutes and really bores me. Normally I wouldn't let one song bring an album down an entire star, but that's one of four. But it's a five-star if you're willing to hit "stop" before Love Chant, for sure!
Awesome title track.......2006-10-08
Mingus' first masterpiece........2005-07-22
The album's four tracks (about forty minutes of music) are each classics in their own right-- three Mingus originals and one Gershwin standard ("A Foggy Day"). All four feature fantastic arrangements, in particular the Gershwin piece that finds Mingus at his most inventive-- tenor sax fog horns, alto siren wails, scratching basses, slide whistles and so on. But in between these excursions is a fantastic swing and a monster bass solo. But as good as this is, its probably the title track that's best known-- a difficult, start-stop rhythmic piece with bizarre tempo changes and fierce group improvisation, its justifiably considered one of the greats in Mingus' catalog. The remaining two tracks ("Profile of Jackie" and "Love Chant") are no slouches either-- the former features a brilliant, wailing theme stated on alto, the latter starts as a rolling piano ballad before breaking into a fierce swing for the solo sections.
In all, a great album of Mingus' music. I'd start with "Mingus Ah Um", but this may be where to look next. Essential.
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Tijuana Moods
Charlie Mingus Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000P46Q18 Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Tracks:
- Dizzy Moods
- Ysabel's Table Dance
- Tijuana Gift Shop
- Los Mariachis
- Flamingo
- A Colloquial Dream (Scenes In the City)
Customer Reviews:
masterpiece.......2007-05-23
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At UCLA 1965
Charles Mingus Manufacturer: Sunny Side ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000HIVQI0 Release Date: 2006-09-26 |
Tracks:
- Opening Speech
- Meditation On Inner Peace
- Speech Introducing Musicians
- Meditation On Inner Peace
- Speech
- Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America (First False Start)
- Lecture To Band
- Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America (2nd False Start) Piano Example. Expels Large Group From Band For Mental Tardiness
- Ode To Bird And Dizzy (Quartet)
- Speech: Call Octet Back
- They Trespass The Land Of THe Sacred Sioux
Tracks:
- Speech: Introduction To Hobart Dotson-The Arts Of Tatum And Freddy Webster
- Speech
- Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America
- Speech To Lonnie Hillyer
- Muskrat Ramble
- Pause
- Don't Be Afraid, The Clown's Afraid Too
- Don't Let It Happen Here
Amazon.com
The appropriately unwieldy full title of this fascinating but rough and far from ready document, Music Written for Monterey, 1965 Not Heard... Played in its Entirety, at UCLA, refers back to Charles Mingus being given only 30 minutes at the Monterey festival to showcase his brassy new octet and new compositions. Not to be denied, the legendary bassist and composer recorded a subsequent performance at UCLA by the same band (including tuba and French horn players, three trumpeters including the remarkable, infrequently heard Sun Ra veteran Hobart Dotson and alto saxophonist Charles McPherson) and put it out as a double album himself--or sort of put it out. Only about 200 copies saw the light of mail-order-only release. In 1984, it received a more respectable but still limited vinyl release. Now, issued as a two-disc set on the imprint of his widow, Sue Mingus, it's back in all its ragged glory for all to hear, complete with false starts and utterances and asides by the leader. The music ranges from epic spiritual meditations to angular bebop treatments, touched by politics and the spirit of free jazz (at times, McPherson's sound reflects "new thing" master Ornette Coleman's). With Mingus struggling to keep everyone on the same page, if not the same stage--at one point, he orders the brass players off to rehearse--the music struggles for momentum. But when it sticks, grounded by his magnetic, reverberent bass, its blend of earthiness, tunefulness, and elliptical power is the stuff of genius. --Lloyd SachsCustomer Reviews:
essential.......2007-02-18
Out of chaos, a cohesive statement.......2006-10-12
This aint your Grandad's big band.
As I said, we owe Sue Mingus a huge debt of gratitude. Mingus was one of a kind, and especially live, as his enthusiastic howls in the course of "Once Upon a Time..." demonstrate. This is bold, adventurous and as out there as Miles, Trane and the Ornette from this volatile period.
Beyond superlatives.......2006-09-30
Charles Mingus At UCLA 1965 is a no holds barred, unapologetic look at Mingus' genius; the frustration, anger and ultimate exaltation he felt while his music took shape. Originally released as an LP in 1967, Mingus was only able to press 200 of the double album set before running out of money. A few years later, Mingus discovered the masters had been destroyed when Capitol Records cleaned out their vaults. This CD set, put out by Mingus' widow on her Sue Mingus Music label, is a testament to the contentious style her husband employed to re-create the art that burnished his soul.
To say this album is brilliant doesn't do it justice. There aren't enough superlatives in the English language to describe the effect this album will have on any Mingus or jazz aficionado. Mingus' sterling backup band on this album includes Hobart Dotson on and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpets; Jimmy Owens on flugelhorn and trumpet, Charles McPherson on alto saxophone, Julius Watkins on French horn, Howard Johnson on tuba, and Dannie Richmond on drums are all impeccable, even though after a few false starts on "Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America" Mingus dismisses Dotson, Owens, Watkins and Johnson "to the back room to figure this thing out." It's not malicious--some of the compositions were so raw at the time of this concert its surprising there weren't more false starts then there were. Although some may not appreciate the rough edginess of the songs Mingus workshops, these unpolished gems give listeners the opportunity to explore with Mingus as the compositions ascend from drafts to a final product that has Mingus shouting in joyful acknowledgement of completion. It's a searing experience.
As a quartet, Mingus, Hillyer, McPherson and Richmond do a shattering version of "Ode To Bird and Dizzy", and the full octet shines on "They Trespass the Land of the Sacred Sioux", "The Arts of Tatum and Freddy Webster", "Muskrat Ramble", and "Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too". The album ends with "Don't Let It Happen Here", a Mingus poem which is a vanguard in response to current political turmoil.
Charles Mingus was years ahead of his time, constantly pushing the boundaries of jazz to its furthest extremes. Nearly thirty years after his death, musicians are still untangling Mingus' complex compositions, adding their own bents to his musical vision. The re-released document of the 1965 UCLA workshop further enhances Mingus' vision and will keep new composers busy for a long time trying to capture his magic in their own work.
Uneven music and recording, fascinating journey into the creative process of an American genius........2006-09-26
Mingus had planned to premiere a large body of compositions at the September 1965 Monterey Festival, but his time on stage was limited to under thirty minutes, precluding the performance of most of the new material. A week later, the bassist-leader and his ensemble would perform the complete concert at UCLA. Subsequently, Mingus would obtain the tape made by amateur UCLA sound technicians and press a mere 200 double-LP sets for sale on his own mail-order label. The music has not been released on CD until now.
The listener can't help but notice that Mingus is surprisingly sensitive to his youthful student audience, at one point catching and practically reprimanding himself for using the word "hell" in their presence. It's true that following two false starts on one of the compositions ("Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America"), he first berates his musicians (the most humorous moment on the recording), then dismisses half the band for their "mental tardiness," sentencing them backstage to get their act together. But the temperamental leader evidences an equal amount of love and respect for his musicians during the program.
As for the music itself, start with Mingus' choice of the instrumentation for his octet. It could be argued that the three trumpet players get in each other's way and, furthermore, do not serve to strengthen the textures of Mingus' bass-led harmonic progressions. Perhaps Julius Watkins' French horn was chosen to cover some of the registers normally assigned to Jimmy Knepper's trombone as well as to afford opportunities for satiric commentary (given the instrument's iconic association with "legit" music). At least the inclusion of Howard Johnson's tuba makes eminent sense, not only because of its undeniable contribution to the Dixieland number ("Muskrat Ramble") but because it permits Mingus to switch to piano without any drop-out in the bass part.
Although it's clear that Mingus isn't happy with the music until the second half, the present listener may have a preference for the music on the first disc, in part because of its superior audio quality. The opening composition, "Meditation On Inner Peace," is a stunning invitation, featuring the leader playing a rich bowed solo in the cello register over an unabated drone tone supplied by tuba. Gradually the mournful musical prayer acquires intensity as the other players make their individual contributions to the surging layered threnody, which reaches a sonic and emotional climax with the addition of drummer Dannie Richmond's percussive thunder.
Despite considerable distortion on the CD, the audience is clearly impressed by trumpeter Hobart Dotson's soloing leading off the second half, and Mingus is so unmistakably pleased that he expresses regret the band did not start there, proclaiming "everything is fine now." The ensemble remains in Mingus's good graces thoughout the third, primarily successful, attempt to perform "Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called America," during which Mingus is at his manic best, hollering to his old pal, Dannie Richmond, "Love, Dee. It's you and me." Soon the joyous leader is singing along with the music in a piercing falsetto, perhaps to feed the musicians their parts but more likely to express his irrepressible ecstasy over its successful realization. Unfortunately, the singing adds to the considerable audio distortion, directing attention away from the music itself to its effect on its creator.
Some listeners will no doubt dismiss this latest Mingus entry as marginally listenable music obviously recorded by non-professional technicians--perhaps an understandable reaction. But to the extent that Mingus' name and mystique extend beyond his music, continuing to attract and fascinate new listeners, this recording of the enigmatic, volatile composer's UCLA performance could be regarded as an indispensable "document," filling in another piece of the puzzle that is the artist while providing privileged insights into the creative process itself. Altoist Charles McPherson is quoted as saying that learning the music was especially trying as the composer not only denied the musicians written parts but changed his mind every day. Mingus represents not merely the burden of artistic genius but the composing process in each of us writ large. Far from being a megalomaniac or fixed ego, he's the insecure child persistently, valiantly, heroically working to assemble a genuine human identity, which for any of us must necessarily be a work in process. Or, as his widow Sue quotes him, "I'm trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it's difficult is because I'm changing all the time."
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Blues and Roots
Charles Mingus Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000002I4Q Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
- Cryin' Blues
- Moanin'
- Tensions
- My Jelly Roll Soul
- E's Flat Ah's Flat Too
Amazon.com essential recording
Bassist Charles Mingus was always ready for a good fight. In the liner notes to this disc, Mingus says he wanted to respond to critics who said he didn't swing enough. And reply he did. Mingus gave whoever these absurd quibblers were some of the most ecstatic blues ("Moanin'" and "Cryin Blues"), gospel ("Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting"), and Dixieland ("My Jelly Roll Soul") the jazz world has ever heard. Along with his striking original compositions, the instrumental combination in Mingus's nonet remains unconventional: the frontline included four saxophonists and two trombonists without the counterweight of a trumpeter. The leader's sliding-octave bass lines and percussive slaps are totally rollicking, and the wild abandon in the group's playing is irrepressible. --Aaron CohenCustomer Reviews:
Charles Mingus: Blues & Roots.......2007-05-19
By the way, although I haven't heard the unremastered version and therefore cannot make comparisons regarding sound quality, it's well worth the extra couple of dollars to get the four bonus tracks of the remastered version. The "Old Jelly Roll Soul" outtake - a full 11 minutes long, more than double length of the original album version - is a highlight of the whole CD, not just of the bonus tracks.
I should like this more..........2007-03-15
Perhaps it was just because he didn't really perfect the bluesy approach until the Oh Yeah/Ah Um period, which was still a couple years away at this point (in 1959, Mingus was still steeped in the avant-garde - this was the time of The Clown and Pithecanthropus Erectus, two far surperior albums, after all). Regardless, I see this as a mere footnote in the Mingus catalogue, rather than a dominant presence.
Moanin'.......2006-08-14
"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" starts things off. Though quite similar to "You'd Better Git It in Your Soul", its melody is more simple. However, the ensemble playing is white hot and Booker Ervin takes another one of his "sermon" solos over handclaps. "Cryin' Blues" is the shortest track and features intense playing by Jackie McLean. "Moanin'", my personal favorite on the album, begins with a naaaaaaaasty baritone riff by Pepper Adams that slowly expands into raucous collective improvisation by the group. "Tensions" is a similar tune, though at a slightly lower temperature. "My Jelly Roll Soul" is almost exactly the same tune as "Jelly Roll" from Ah Um. "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" (recorded elsewhere as "Hora Decubitus") closes the album with a blistering, swinging ride.
The strength of the album, besides the memorable riff-based compositions, is the blending of collective improvisation with strong solo performances. Ervin, McLean, Adams, John Handy, Jimmy Knepper and Willie Dennis are the perfect frontline for this kind of mix, and Mingus is just the right "conductor" to kick things along. If you like Mingus, or are merely curious about his music, Blues & Roots is essential listening.
(One caveat: the sound on this deluxe edition, as on most Atlantic jazz albums from this period, is terrible.)
If this doesn't move you, you can't be moved.......2006-05-16
The first time I heard Mingus wail in the background of that song, my heart sprang up out my throat. I haven't seen it since.
Now try "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting."
While you're at it, you might as well check out the rest, but keep in mind that these songs have twists and turns that can only be experienced when you hear the entire song. You might as well just buy the CD. You can thank me later.
moaning with pleasure .......2005-09-22
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Money Jungle
Duke Ellington , Charlie Mingus , and Max Roach Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000691U1 Release Date: 2002-07-16 |
Tracks:
- Money Jungle
- Fleurette Africaine
- Very Special
- Warm Valley
- Wig Wise
- Caravan
- Solitude
- Switch Blade
- A Little Max (Parfait)
- REM Blues
- Backward Country Boy Blues
- Solitude (alternate take)
- Switch Blade (alternate take)
- A Little Max (Parfait) (alternate take)
- REM Blues (alternate take)
Amazon.com essential recording
What an alliance: a legendary bandleader and composer, a pioneering bop drummer, and an unclassifiable (and often prickly) bass behemoth. It's no wonder that the tension between Duke Ellington, Max Roach, and Charlie Mingus is thick and extremely tangible, permeating this breathtaking 1962 album with passion and aggression. On the jagged blues "Very Special," Ellington establishes a weighty mood while his piano work almost borders on free jazz. Roach's sticks dance and prance across every inch of his kit on "A Little Max"; on "Caravan" he effectively shifts from exotic rhythms to straight time. Duke's harmonic invention is delicate and mysterious on "Fleurette Africaine," but simultaneously jarring and cerebral on the confrontational "Wig Wise." It's hard to believe only three people are creating the stomping, disjointed monster that is the title track. Ellington alone emphasizes the beautiful melodies of the classic ballads "Soltitude" and "Warm Valley," but the edge returns when the rhythm section joins him. Mingus, who actually idolized Ellington, seems to be purposely agitating the master, almost taunting him. You'd say the synergy was magical, except that they seem to be working against each other. --Marc GreilsamerCustomer Reviews:
Glorified session from seminal names yeilds a few outstanding cuts amongst less involving fare.......2007-05-29
I must side with a tiny minority in judging this album of three jazz giants as overrated, though certainly not grossly. The album seems to find these players manipulating traditional forms moreso then arranging new ones. Anybody steeped in the genre would probably never allow this one out of their collection (Ellington fans in particular are treated to a rare and unhinged treat), but the combined strained effort does not add up to the masterpiece one would expect from these worthy musicians. Spending the majority of time between over-cooked experimentation and auto-piloted bop, rarely does the music flow as it seemingly should; forget about any intra-band tensions or any of that esoteric nonsense, an abundance of showy overplaying and jarring, ego-centric competition robs Money Jungle of much true musical tension. It does sometimes feel that bass work from the exceptional though difficult Charlie Mingus intentionally goes out of it's way to further smear any cohesiveness between the trio. As underwhelming as it's pedigree may suggest, the album still maintains a level of technical proficiency that cannot be denied from an objective standpoint, playing out like a good, but not great, avant garde-meets-traditional Jazz work from the early 60's.
Duke does Mingus- earthy, raw, transcendent.......2007-05-16
3 Giants = Masterpiece.......2007-03-07
Most of the material was written especially for the session and there are some wonderful compositions here. Like a lot of Ellingtons material they all sound deceptively simple. However my favourite track is their version of 'Caravan'. This is a thunderous version with Ellington playing the melody lower down the Piano than you would normally expect. Perhaps he did this just wind Mingus up - who knows. Anyway its a stunning performance by all 3 of them.
This is a must-have Jazz Trio album by Ellington, who is frequently forgotten when great Jazz Pianists are mentioned, because of his superb writing and arranging skills. This shows off his playing skills better than any other album I know.
Three geniuses distill jazz to 100 proof perfection.......2007-02-02
Charlie Mingus is an idiot.......2006-12-23
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