0 Minous [Import]

Track Listings

1. Nogoarea - Border Crossing,

2. Moretolife(ominous) - Border Crossing, , ,

3. Searchingformrmanuva - Border Crossing

4. Originalheads - Border Crossing,

5. Danceforyourlife - Border Crossing, ,

6. Taxi - Border Crossing

7. Rankinsmove - Border Crossing,

8. Thereturn - Border Crossing, ,

9. Flightpath - Border Crossing

10. Thealias - Border Crossing,

11. Futureblues - Border Crossing,

12. Latenightskit - Border Crossing

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Ominous is the stunning debut album from UK Hip Hop collective, Border Crossing. This highly atmospheric collection of twelve timeless tracks encompasses a kaleidoscope fusion of Hip Hop, Reggae and cinematic soundscapes. RG Records. 2004.

0 Minous,Border Crossing,RGR,Soul/R & B

0 Minous [Import]

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

Customer Reviews:

A great introduction to Mingus.......2007-07-25

Like the 2005 releases Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 (Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker), Cornell 1964 is a newly-discovered concert recording. And as with those 2005 releases, the performance just happens to be extraordinary. I'm past the two-dozen mark when it comes to buying Mingus recordings, and I think that Cornell 1964 is the most exciting Mingus music I've heard.

What a concert those lucky students were given:

"ATFW You": Jaki Byard's fleet, witty parade of Art Tatumisms and Fats Wallerisms.

"Sophisticated Lady": for bass. Mingus never stopped paying tribute to Duke Ellington.

"Fables of Faubus": A Weillian send-up of Orval Faubus, segregationist governor of Arkansas. The lyrics here are, alas, inaudible. (A sample: "Two, four, six, eight, they brainwash and teach you hate.") A very lengthy "Fables," dipping into various streams of musical Americana along the way. Here, as elsewhere, Mingus and Richmond are the most inventive bass-and-drums pairing in jazz, changing tempos and textures and thereby pushing soloists to dig deeper: the rhythm section as personal trainer.

"Orange Was the Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk": One of Mingus's most beautiful compositions, with overtones of Ellington, "Blues in the Night," and "Body and Soul."

"Take the 'A' Train": I think that it's here that everything rises to a very high level of energy. As Clifford Jordan begins his second chorus, Mingus calls to Johnny Coles and Eric Dolphy: "Join in," and the band takes off. Jordan is the great surprise on this performance and on the rest of the recording, playing with greater intensity and freedom than on the European tour recordings (or at least the ones that I've heard). And Coles, who missed much of the European tour with a stomach ulcer, is brilliant here and elsewhere. I'm only now realizing that he was an influence on Lester Bowie, one of my favorite trumpeters.

"Meditations": like "Orange," a composition in markedly different sections. Particularly powerful solos from Byard and Dolphy (bass clarinet).

"So Long Eric": Twelve-bar blues. Mingus plants the endpin of his bass in the floor, and not for the first time: "Well, we got several holes now." The tempo here is slower than on other recordings of this tune. Mingus calls to Johnny Coles: "Come on, Johnny." He calls to Jaki Byard: "By yourself," and bass and drums drop out. No problem: Byard turns into Art Tatum and Erroll Garner. It's Clifford Jordan's turn to solo: "I know you swing," says Mingus. And before Dannie Richmond's solo: "Go!"

Two encores follow, the first featuring "the only Irishman in the band," "Johnny O'Coles." (Note the concert date.) And finally, a giddy, slightly wobbly "Jitterbug Waltz," the elegant Fats Waller melody that Eric Dolphy loved to play.

For a newcomer to Mingus' music, Cornell 1964 is a perfect start: three major Mingus compositions ("Fables," "Orange," "Meditations"), some blues, some strong evidence of Mingus' reverence for his musical ancestors, and a charming novelty, all played by what many listeners regard as Mingus' greatest band.

Average customer rating:

every once in awhile...
MINGUS' BEST
An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus
How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus
A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece

Mingus Ah Um
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Time Out
A Love Supreme
Kind of Blue
Somethin' Else
Moanin'

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 Bartlett

Album 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

you get a breath of fresh air. its like opening the windows for the first time after a long winter. you've experienced the same thing maybe before but it just feels new.
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

This is Charles Mingus' best and most musically accessible alsbum. Recorded in 1959, it is soul stirring, great hard bebop with some fantastic sax playing by the great Booker Ervin. If you are into jazz, then this is an essential addition to your collection. I can never get tired of hearing this CD.

An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus.......2006-03-31

This is the CD you should buy if you're new to Mingus. It came out during a highly creative period in his life, and contains some of his most memorable compostions. Ah Um may not be his most ambitious album or his best, but it is one of his most well rounded and diverse, showing many of the styles, quirks and facets that make Charles Mingus one of the top jazz composers of all time. And it's all laid out in easily digestable morsels, ie some of the songs were edited to make them more concise and able to fit on vinyl. Don't worry, the edits are not noticable. Is it bop? Is it post bop? Is it swing? Well, yes and no. Mingus looks not only to big bands, bebop, and hard bop circa 1959, but also gospel, spirituals, pre-jazz and the blues for inspiration. Ah Um is as diverse and eclectic as it is enjoyable. It points the way to the many directions Mingus was exploring or would explore in his later career. Ah Um is a wonderful look into the music of a great mind and is by turns angry, sad, tender, sarcastic, joyful and damn good. You can feel the passion.

How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus.......2006-03-17

1 of 3-5 star lps- (see "Blues and Roots" and "Dynasty") issued by Mingus in 50's. All his own compositions, the song flow is unparalleled. No song can be called better than another, but, of course, we all favor some. Listen to his eloquent 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' Charlie's tribute to lester young. Check out 'Fables of Faubus; and think about.... CIVIL RIGHTS! Overwhelming opening funk/jazz piece "Better Git It In Your Soul" Mingus was certainly a master composer, creator, artist and a central link, between at most, 2 other great jazz composers. Buying this cd is a 'no brainer' for anyone of an age that knows what was, is and will be good for as long as we have ears. Companion cd is "Dynasty". The man who entitled his auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" still gets way too little respect.

A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece.......2006-01-20

i always knew that Mingus was great...but it was not something that i could attest to through personal experience. i had seen the light that was Coltrane, Davis, Sun Ra, Dolphy...but Mingus' masterpieces somehow eluded me. probably due to the fact that i just simply did not take the time to check them out. well, i picked up Mingus Ah Um (finally)...and it all rang true. not only was this man an excellent bass player, but a true genius in composing. his music shines bright with a broad range of feeling and emotion. the righteous anger is present within the notes...anger that boiled hot over the shakey political/cultural climate of the times. but the music's fire is stoked by coals of passion and sincerity, jazz morphs into the blues and swings into melodies so alive and free that they can't be denied in their originality and greatness. i've been listening to this album only about 10 times and i'm still finding new things revealed to me with each spin. Mingus' vision grows deeper and more profound each time around. and there's so much more to explore and discover.

Average customer rating:

A Sea Of Smoke
Jazz therapy (is good for you)
Joni Does Jazz
excellence in the year i graduated from high school!
A wonderful jazz euphoria.

Mingus
Joni Mitchell
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
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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

The beauty of Joni Mitchell's music is that apart from being absolutely timeless, it has a brilliant way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. Fifth album "For The Roses" grew on me in a way I'd not expected about a year ago. I now class it as one of her best records. The same has just happened with "Mingus." I bought this album about eight months ago and listened to it a bit but didn't take to it much. I was well aware of Mitchell's decreasing popularity and acclaim around the time of this album's release. Perhaps this is why I wasn't expecting much to begin with and was initially disappointed. The whole jazz song wasn't working for me either. I adored "Hejira" and "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter," but there was something missing from this album.

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

JM goes "outside" and this is art-for-art's-sake, nova express ear candy, a bottomless well of innovation and sheer bravado love of playing music.

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

Joni Mitchell had been labeled a "jazzer" after using session players Wayne Shorter and Jaco Pastorious, jazz musicians in their own right. However, jazz inflections were all to be heard on previous Mitchell releases, and then all the ones going forward. Only " Mingus" stands as a true jazz album. Mitchell was well suited to the genre.

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

i really didn't discover mingus, monk or trane until soon after this, but i wish back then i had heard joni's album and understood the magnitude of the tribute she was making! jaco is a wonderful complement to joni's lyrical and complex melodies that are in the jazz tradition. this woman is one of our musical geniuses & this is just one work that will bear that out for years to come! its october of 2006 and the work still sounds fresh, soulful and poignant!

A wonderful jazz euphoria........2005-11-14

1979's "Mingus" is a fun & dreamy jazz influenced record that any diehard Joni fan will adore. Greatly influenced by the jazz legend himself, Charles Mingus, Joni embraces her jazz side full on. Crooning smooth & blissfully on atmosphereic numbers like "A Chair In The Sky" & "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat". It also features a hauntingly beautiful song, "The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey", Which feautures fustrated & passionate acoustic guitar pounding that send rythmic chills down your spine. There are many hilarious & endearing skits of dialog inbetween each song that add to the old school jazz feel of this masterwork, but never spill into the songs, so you can enjoy each one individually. On the afore mentioned self-penned song "The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey" she darkly observes:

"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.

Average customer rating:

Turn off the weather channel
WoW
exuberant and powerful jazz.
Mingus At the Top of His Game
Everything

The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Grp Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mingus Ah Um
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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 Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Turn off the weather channel.......2007-08-03

...and turn this on! This is real jazz. It is experimental, maybe too much so for a new listener, but at the same time it's smooth jazz that you can put on to relax with. Now your's truly started out on Miles Davis and Coltrane like the rest of ya. But when you're ready to move on to something new, I highly recommend this artist. Some jazz is just random notes. But there's a higher level, where the music retains it's value as music, but also becomes art. It's sad that jazz has become unpopular but perhaps that is because people only think of that easy listening stuff they hear on the weather channel when they think of Jazz.

Yeah, Jazz is like classical music, it creates thought pictures in your head. It creates moods in the listener, and can change your current outlook on life. And best of all, it is great to put on during a rainy day.

WoW.......2007-05-29

One of the greatest recordings I've ever heard. The horns just wail and the music is wonderful. Enjoy.

exuberant and powerful jazz........2007-02-21

you get a lot of sounds for your money on this short album (the whole thing clocks in at just over 38 minutes). an inventive set of mingus composition that may be his best (though i'm not completely committing myself, because he released several classic albums and my mood changes week to week). certainly this is a classic all jazz fans need. there is lots of wonderful wild aggressive playing on this recording, at times the players seem hyper with the joy of it all, and their exuberance is catchy, like a roomful of creative madmen unleashing an ecstatic fury that you want to be a part of. fun and challenging, this is the deep waters of jazz. don't miss the party.

Mingus At the Top of His Game.......2007-01-13

Out of my Mingus Big Four (Mingus at Antibes; Oh Yeah; Mingus Ah Um; and this one), this is probably the weakest, though I love it all the same. Mingus' love of bizarre melodies and key signatures are best expressed on this album-long ballet; if you've got a thing for ensemble soloing (which is often fascinatingly chaotic) and great playing, this one's for you. Bonus points for the hilariously weird song titles, and the liner notes, written by Mingus' psychotherapist: all in all, one of Mingus' better albums.

Everything.......2006-12-27

This music is so emotional. I refuse to listen to this CD any other way than from start to finish. I get the same feeling from this piece as i do when listening to Rite Of Spring or Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony. This is the kind of music that even at 40 minutes long never seems boring looses my attention. I'm so glad that i bought this CD.

Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings

Average customer rating:

Fantasy released this in the 1970's

Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Sunny Side Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sacred Ground

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
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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
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Reprise
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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 Bartlett

Product 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

While acting like this has never been heard before in America, Fantasy (or maybe it was Milestone) released this music on 2 double albums in the early 1970's. It is a great set of music. This is my favorite version of Pithyecanthropus Erectus. Part of this session was also released on the French label Accord in 1985 and the CD was titled Charlie Mingus Pithycanthropus Erectus. Once again, it is truly a great set of Mingus music. If you like Mingus get it!

Average customer rating:

I played the vinyl to death when I first heard this. Wish they would RE-MASTER it
Brilliant loopy jazz for muppets
Bring back the original cover art!
Awesome title track
Mingus' first masterpiece.

Pithecanthropus Erectus
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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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 Goodman

Customer Reviews:

I played the vinyl to death when I first heard this. Wish they would RE-MASTER it.......2007-07-02

A Mingus fan forever, and I catch the new Mingus groups at the Iridium or Dizzy's in NYC often. Never can get enough of his compositions and the sounds of The Mingus Big Band, Mingus Orch. and Mingus Dynasty and all with Sue Mingus's guidance.
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

For those struggling to "connect" with jazz, coming from a pop music sensibility (where one listens for lyrics and melody instead of texture and interplay, etc.)Mingus is a groovy, humorous breakthrough. With this album I was able to bring my soul and mind back to being a child of 6 or 7 and watching Sesame Street in the safe haven presence of my big daddy reading the Sunday paper. Mingus makes music like clowns make animal balloons and magicians pull rabbits out of hats for children's birthday parties, but not in some creepy overacting way, in a very cool, 1960s-70s Sesame Street way, the muppets way. Horns interact like they're loony muppet birds speaking to one another in a comical but beautiful language.... repeating each other's questions as textures shift and change. Best of all is how Mingus connects modern jazz with bebop, big band, and the sound of the blues. He's like a crazy connect the dots painter, linking Louis Armstrong to Charlie Parker to Sun Ra in one crazy technicolor brush stroke. That said, the horns and sirens of Foggy Day are really annoying after 2 seconds and the tambourine in "Love Dance" seems really off sometimes, like some musician's little kid or jazz workshop janitor got in on the scene, picking up the one instrument no one was using. Other than that, this is a masterpiece.

Bring back the original cover art! .......2007-03-14

Seriously - does anybody besides me miss this album's original cover? You know, that abstrafct painting? I do! Anyway, onto the album...

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

Charles Mingus's melody for "Pithecanthropus Erectus" is an absolute classic. It's beautiful, and as he shows in the song, it can be played calmly or chaotically. At the time, it was a forward-thinking example of jazz composition and harmony. Today, it still stands up. The CD goes next to "A Foggy Day" where ambient sounds are added to the song. It's not the best song, I don't think the fog horns and so forth add or detract from it, they're not too prominent in the mix. "Profile Of Jackie" features Jackie McLean's sax, not a bad song, I'm not very enthusiastic about it. The CD wraps up in fine form with "Love Chant", a long improvisation. Bookended by strong songs, I highly recommend this CD.

Mingus' first masterpiece........2005-07-22

"Pithecanthropus Erectus" is in the opinion of many (and rightly so), the first Charles Mingus masterpiece. It is on this record I really felt the "Mingus sound" began to coalesce-- that sort of playful jazz filtered through gospel and a big sense of humor sound he had, generously supported by a band that was more than capable of bringing his vision to life (including Jackie McLean blowing alto like he's got something to prove and pianist Mal Waldron).

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.

Average customer rating:

essential
Out of chaos, a cohesive statement
Beyond superlatives
Uneven music and recording, fascinating journey into the creative process of an American genius.

At UCLA 1965
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Sunny Side
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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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 Sachs

Customer Reviews:

essential.......2007-02-18

if only for the fantastic previews of material that would later be re-recorded for the epochal Let My Children Hear Music. based on what one hears on this recording, the extent of Sy Johnson's role on the later date seems to be called into question (at least to this humble listener). great variation on Meditations to boot...

Out of chaos, a cohesive statement.......2006-10-12

We should all thank Sue Mingus for releasing the gems from the Mingus vault, and this one is a keeper. I gather from the chat that Mingus had been scheduled top play at the Moneterey Festival, but that his set got cut short. So he unrolls the whole thing here at UCLA. As always with Mingus there is a political and social subtext to the performance and in this case that reaches a very poignant peak with the closing "Don't Let It Happen Here." Before you get there though, and particularly on the first disc, there is a wild ride that seems completely out of control. You have Mingus introducing and backing up on comments as he goes along, there are false starts and deconstructed endings that leave you wondering what in the name of whoever is going on. The music is complex and difficult, and yet in the midst of whatever cataclysm is busrting, somehow the blues or swing breakout. It is an unbelievable ride. The focus increases on the second disc, but make no mistake about it, the compositions freely swing from free cacaphony to brilliant standard big band with a restless energy that gathers you in.
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

Last week was the 40th anniversary of a seminal event in jazz history. On September 25, 1965, composer/bassist/pianist Charles Mingus and his octet lumbered into a small auditorium on the UCLA campus to perform one of the open workshops Mingus became famous for. It was an event that allowed a select audience to watch a jazz master at work, struggling to make sense of the music in his head and lay a foundation for his group to interpret that music.

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 at UCLA 1965" is a remarkable document, possibly the most important music release of 2006, providing your criteria extend beyond mere audio quality and musical precision. This was not a concert but a Mingus "workshop," as he insisted on calling such affairs. Mingus wanted the audience to experience the creative process as much as the product. Consequently, to the extent that the recording omits visual information relevant to that process the accompanying notes in the form of Sue Mingus' elegant prose are arguably integral with the music on the two discs.

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."

Average customer rating:

masterpiece

Tijuana Moods
Charlie Mingus
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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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

one of Mingus's best, to be sure, which means, of course, that it's one of the best in the history of American music. a bona fide classic, there's not much that I could say about Tijuana Moods that hasn't already been said elsewhere by other far more gifted critics than myself. at any rate, Shafi Hadi's alto and tenor work with Mingus, for one, was never better than it was on this session. worth owning in any release, but if you can track either down new and at a reasonable price, spring for the single disc or double disc RCA/Bluebird reissues from 1996 and 2001 which feature alternate takes of the whole session. while all these additional performances make for great listening, the composite alternate of Ysabel's Table Dance, in particular, is simply stunning, if not possibly superior to the master. buy and enjoy.

Average customer rating:

Clash of the titans
Glorified session from seminal names yeilds a few outstanding cuts amongst less involving fare
Duke does Mingus- earthy, raw, transcendent
3 Giants = Masterpiece
Three geniuses distill jazz to 100 proof perfection

Money Jungle
Duke Ellington , Charlie Mingus , and Max Roach
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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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 Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Clash of the titans.......2007-07-28

Remarkable album, indeed!
Duke Ellington, a great classical (but always explorative) pianist, composer, arranger and band leader is teamd up with two of the best modernist players, Charles Mingus and Max Roach and, as opposed to occasions where artists modify theri style to conform to one of the players, this is a true fight, a clash of the musical titans who respect and challenge each other.

Not all the numbers are equally enjoyable for me, but this is still, I believe one of the best albums I have ever heard (although it's not one of my favorites).

Glorified session from seminal names yeilds a few outstanding cuts amongst less involving fare.......2007-05-29

3 1/2

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

After listening to this excellent cd I feel I must point this out. Although Duke wrote all these tracks, it seems to me that the Duke's performance was completely inspired by Charles Mingus's playing. You will never hear Ellington sound as raw and as immediate and as he sounds here. Duke gets top billing but to me this cd is as much Mingus (and Roach) as it is Duke.

3 Giants = Masterpiece.......2007-03-07

This album was bought for me many years ago by a friend, and I have been listening to it ever since. The sessions were recorded in 1962 and feature Max Roach on Drums, Charlie Mingus on Bass and Duke Ellngton on the Piano.

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

This is one of those albums that transcends the word "jazz" and reminds me of how useless a term it can be when trying to talk about art music of this quality. Ellington, Mingus and Roach drove the tap deep into the well of the universal with this one. Ellington's ability to approach the music with a compositional freshness rather than becoming mired in the formulaic makes Money Jungle a true joy; alive with spontaneity but steeped in jazz tradition. The instrumental virtuosity of all three working on the scaffold of Ellington's compositional leadership yields a priceless result. African Flower alone would justify owning this album.

Average customer rating:

Great Performance - Poor Recording
Meets and Even Exceeds the Promise of the Title
Landmark performance
Mingus's best work
OO-EE-OO!!

The Great Concert of Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000AKNJL
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

A.T.F.W. (Art Tatum Fats Waller)
Presentation Of Musicians: Johnny Coles Trumpet
So Long Eric (Don't Stay Over There Too Long)
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Meditations On Integration

Album Description

Recorded "live" in 1964 at the Thibtre des Champs-Ilysie, Paris this 2 CD set, which features Eric Dolphy, is bolstered by two previously unreleased tracks. This is essential Mingus and essential to any jazz collection.

Customer Reviews:

Great Performance - Poor Recording.......2007-02-20

Read the other reviews to find out about the performance (it's great), but if you're wondering about the sound quality, I'll tell you that the people doing the recording were amateurs. It's very obvious. On a couple of tracks, you can hear someone repositioning a microphone, banging it against something in the process. These were left off of previous editions, but restored to this one due to historic considerations and the fact that they're good tracks, but the entire disc suffers from improper mic placement. Everybody sounds far away from the microphones.

If you're a Mingus completest, or if sound quality isn't a major concern, you'll want to get this, but if sound quality is a big deal to you, I'd pass.

Meets and Even Exceeds the Promise of the Title.......2005-05-21

This is a must for Mingus fans, and for anyone who enjoys the more experimental jazz sounds of the early 60's. Although there are some fairly challenging numbers, others are more accessible to the newcomer. It's probably his best live CD (rivaled only by "Live at Antibes); the introductions by Mingus, the enthusiastic, respectful audience, and the musicians' spontaneity augment the concert feeling. Long unavailable, the 2-CD set captures well over 2 hours of an April 1964 concert in Paris, part of Mingus' first European tour, and boasts a phenomenal lineup including Eric Dolphy, Jaki Byard, Clifford Jordan, and Dannie Richmond.

Track 1, "A.T.F.W.," alternates between the long complex lines of "A.T." (Art Tatum), and the playful, raggish sounds of "F.W." (Fats Waller), all unified by Mingus' arrangement. Pianist Jaki Byard is all over the map: He plays some bop riffs, then somehow blends this with a New Orleans ragtime sound: It's a kaleidoscopic synthesis of jazz styles. Later, Byard slows the tempo a la Bill Evans, then recapitulates his combination of Waller spirit and Tatum speed. The number is evocative, playful, and light, but also evinces mastery and creativity. Track 2 (just over a minute) is a humorous introduction in which Mingus introduces Johnny Coles` trumpet. According to the liner notes, Coles was hospitalized following a stomach ulcer condition, so Mingus introduced his onstage trumpet.

"So Long Eric" (21:47), like "A.T.F.W.," was not released on the original 3-LP album (America; 003/4/5) due to poor sound quality; Alexis Frenkel's restoration is excellent. Mingus plays the opening riff quietly, then the orchestra enters with typical Mingus assemblage of dissonance , repeated lines, and structured improvisation. Although it's basically a blues piece, it feels ready to burst out of that format at any moment. At a time change, the saxophone does break out into a boppish fast solo; the pairing of the Jordan's long lines and Richmond's punching drums is very effective. The piece changes direction so many times that it's like switching channels on an jazz CD compilation album, yet the emotional content, the tonal center, and the rhythmic constancy preserve its unity. Byard is again brilliant, mixing chords and single notes, and Mingus has some very effective walking bass lines and fast triplets. If this sounds too complex, it isn't, it's an easily enjoyed, and eminently listenable piece. The band quotes "Route 66," from which it seems to borrow much of it harmonic and melodic structure. The composition gets more wild and complex as it proceeds, but this progression is so gradual--like rippling circles turning back onto one another-- that it becomes an organic whole.

On "Orange...,"(Track 4, 14:29) Mingus explains that the piano will play the trumpet part usually performed by the ill Coles. With the deep sounding sax and Dolphy on bass clarinet, the orchestration works. This song has Ellingtonian elegance, to which Mingus adds twists and dissonance. This "mood music" contains several strange voicings backed by Mingus' varying bass tempos and bends, but it returns to the Ellington grand sound later. Byard evens it out with some floaty play. An interesting number that initially requires some concentration. The first CD concludes with "Fables of Faubus," a melodic number that ridicules the segregationist Governor of Arkansas, Orville Faubus. There's some excellent ensemble playing, and the band also expresses anger, confusion, and threat. As if leaving the doubts behind, the band breaks into a more swinging sound at times. An innovative version of a superb and brave composition.

Mingus greatly admired Ellington (he played on the band before a fight with Juan Tizol got him fired), and he opens the second set with "Sophisticated Lady." It's a beautiful, lyrical rendition, with a very tender bass solo playing the melody over piano chords and soft drumming. Definitely an antidote to all those bass solo jokes. Mingus' playing is truly exceptional, and it's a thrilling blend of traditional, romantic elements with some more adventurous riffs. Mingus announces that Charles Parker inspired "Parkeriana (Dedicated to a Genius)," another great with whom Mingus played). The composition begins vigorously, with fast riffs on the sax, but he reconstructs the sounds: There's a flat tonal quality, rapid temp changes, Max Roach "bomb" drum shots, and then several returns to a more traditional bop sound. Mingus sets the bop context that centers the piece, even though he never stays with it very long. Byard plays some superb bop-flavored solos (although he returns playfully to the Fats Waller sound of "A.T.F.W."!), and Mingus clearly enjoys it. During these sections, the song loses some of its original intention; it's dominated by Byard's swing. Then Dolphy takes the lead, and it returns to a more abstract bop stance.

Introducing "Meditation On Integration (Or For A Pair of Wire Cutters)" Mingus refers to "the new concentration camps...in America, in the South." There's "electric barbed wire," and Mingus alludes to the possibility of genocide. The piece opens with a motif that eloquently captures Mingus' introduction. The music implies threat, oppression, and suffering. When the tempo increases, the cut sounds like a warning, as well as a call to action. It's one of his best compositions, combining jazz and Stravinsky in a wide-ranging emotional expression that perfectly captures the themes. While the riffs go in different directions, Mingus' driving bass holds it together. Excellent solos by Dolphy and Jordan, with solid propulsive drums by Dannie Richmond. The composition has some amazing passages, especially the mixture and juxtaposition of solo and ensemble statements. About midpoint, the piece slows to an elegiac pace, with Mingus playing a bowed bass that sounds like a cello (which he once studied), and Byard and Dolphy combining on a Debussy-like interlude.

The liner notes include some interesting but poorly written analysis and anecdotes, although the author sets the historical context well. Some listing of solo order and instrumentation (when possible) would have been helpful. Exciting, fun, and bursting with creativity, this performance stands out as an astonishing masterpiece of that most elusive accomplishment: the jazz "long form."

Landmark performance.......2005-01-08

This concert from 1964 in Paris has been released many times both legitimately and as a bootleg. It's a classic performance that actually lives up to its billing with one of the greatest Mingus ensembles: Eric Dolphy and Clifforn Jordon on saxophones, Jaki Byard on piano and Dannie Richmond on drums. Trumpeter Johnny Coles was a member of this band, but fell ill before this performance and is not included here.

"ATFW" short for Art Tatum - Fats Waller begins the concert with an example of Jaki Byard's piano artistry as he moves through stride, swing, bop and everything in-between. "So Long Eric" brings out the entire band for a tribute to Dolphy who was preparing to leave the band to embark on a solo career in Europe. Starting with the fanfare like theme, Clifford Jordon gets a deep burning tenor saxophone solo followed by piano. Dolphy enters with an ebullient solo of his own and after that Richmond and Mingus trade fours at the end of the tune. "Orange was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk" gets a very Ellingtonian feel with swinging solos from Jordan and Byard before Dolphy loops in with a solo that instantly modernizes everything.

"Fables of Faubus" begins with the great mocking theme followed by a long tenor saxophone solo - after that the whole band kicks back in with a burning group improvisation. The Duke Ellington composition "Sophisticated Lady" is a bass feature for Mingus who improvises deeply on Duke's beautiful melody. "Parkeriana" is a medly of Charlie Parker songs and sets Eric Dolphy loose on an amazing improvisational flight, and Jordon not to be out done, digs deep into his bebop bag on a lengthy solo. The horn players lay out for Byard's solo which starts out with fleet bop before breaking into a stride interlude to the delight of the audience. Dolphy re-enters and solos again, really showing that his music was the logical extension of Parker's music of the 40's and 50's.

The concert ends with a long performance of Mingus' "Meditations (On Integration)" prefaced by a spoken introduction by the leader before the sad melody begins. Beautiful solos abound from Dolphy's bass clarinet to Mingus' deeply felt bowed bass solo. This was really a landmark performance and it's good to see it widely available. The whole tour was widely bootlegged, so hopefully some more of this amazing music will be rescued and officially released.

Mingus's best work.......2005-01-05

The first time I heard this album, I realized how visual this evocative and stunning music is. The band is in top form here; Dolphy and Jordan just outdo themselve on the reeds. Jacki Byard effortlessly jumps from swing to ragtime and Classical music with the ease and drama of Mingus's sudden tempo change. One of the previous reviewers said "Meditations On Integration" was the best Jazz tune ever. Well, I will see his boast and raise him one by calling this spontaneous, passionate masterpiece the greatest piece of music ever created by anyone.

OO-EE-OO!!.......2004-08-19

This has been very hard to find for many years. I love Mingus' music. For more than thirty years I have come back to it every six months or so and been moved anew (I listen to everything from Messiaen to Son House to Lightning Bolt). This is my favorite. "Meditations" (including Ming's rant at the beginning -oddly put at the end of Parkerania instead of introducing Meditations) would get my vote for the single greatest piece of music in jazz. The breadth of this music is astonishing, not "free", but unbounded with all the depth in the world. I agree with everything Greg Taylor says in his review. What Ming and Dannie play behind the solos is more powerful than any other rhythm section ever achieved (even Max behind Sonny on Strode Rode and Elvin & co behind Trane on Transition). Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet solo on Meditations is IMHO the best he ever played. The trio of piano, bowed bass, and flute in the final section is mesmerising. Words are inadequate to describe music like this. If you see this, buy it. If you don't like it, make it available to some who will. It's criminal that this has been so hard to find.

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