1029
but those used to music of the period will know what to expect.
John R.T. Davies remasters with his usual care and attentiveness
to the music on the Hep discs; the Classics counterparts are, as
usual, more mixed.
The 1933-6 material shows a steady if unspectacular growth in
the band's abilities, the personnel remaining surprisingly stable
over the period, although the arrival of Henry Allen, Buster
Bailey and J.C. Higginbotham, all from Fletcher Henderson's
band, gave the orchestra a new team of star soloists. Classics 686
is one of the best of the series, with swinging scores in 'Kokey Joe',
'The Growl', the terrific 'The Stuff Is Here (And It's Mellow)' and
Allen's debut with 'Swingin' In E Flat'. There is also Adelaide
Hall's extraordinary treatment of Ellington's 'Drop Me Off In
Harlem', although the Classics remastering seems to be faulty
here. There are more vital pieces on the next disc - the superb
'Harlem Heat' is one of Will Hudson's best scores, and 'Cotton',
'Truckin" and 'Congo Caravan' aren't far behind - but the
occasional show of routine and Chuck Richards's consistently
unappealing vocals let matters down. As a sequence of records,
though, an important portrait of a great Harlem orchestra.
Pino Minafra
TRUMPET, BUGLE, DIDJERIDOO, OCARINA,
PERCUSSION, VOCAL, ETC.
Italian brass player whose range spans post-bop, orchestral work
and entirely free improvisation.
*** Nod ... Strani Frutti
Leo LR 176 Minafra; Ernst Reijseger (do); Han Bennink
(d). 7/90.
****Sudori
Victo CD034 Minafra; Lauro Rossi (tb, pere, v); Carlo Actis
Dato (ts, bs, pere, v); Giorgio Occhipinti (ky, pere, v); Daniele
Patumi (pere); Vincenzo Mazzone (d). 1/95.
Look out: genius at work. Minafra's early LPs for Splasc(h) were
enjoyable post-bop outings of a comparatively conventional
bent, but these are something else. The Leo disc catches him
on the hoof at a late-night festival set with Reijseger and
Bennink: his confiding, sputtering sound reminds one at differ
ent moments of Miles Davis, Ted Curson and Donald Ayler;
but it's a very personal manner, and it fits well over the tumb
ling dialogue of the other two. Forty-five minutes of strong
improvisation.
Sudori is entirely different. Meticulously arranged yet sponta
neously exciting, Minafra's Sud Ensemble must be among the
smartest outfits in European jazz today. With daredevil spirits
like Dato and Rossi on hand, matters could have descended into
chaos, given Minafra's own taste for excitement. Yet everything
is perfectly realized, from the mounting movie-score drama of
'Exorcism' to the astonishing blues fantasy of'Au Fond Je Suis Un
Africain Du Nord'. The ensemble playing is as impeccable as the
solos are rich and detailed, and in meltingly beautiful pieces like
the gorgeous 'Tango', dedicated to Federico Fellini, one can
hardly credit that this is the same band responsible for the
uproarious stuff. A major piece of work that deserves the widest
attention. We are still waiting for an encore!
CHARLES MINGUS
Dom Minasi (bom 1943)
G U I TA R
A New Yorker whose appearances on record are rare, Mh lasiplays
electric guitar with a semi-acoustic sound on this 'c imeback'
**(*) Finishing Touches
CIMP 196 Minasi; Michael Bocchiicchio (b); Jay Rose n
(d). 2/99.
A strange one. This is Minasi's return to recording after a hiatus
of some 25 years: he cut a couple of lite-jazz albur is in the
twilight stages of Blue Note's Liberty period, but las done
nothing visible since. He plays these open-ended pieces with dex
terity and spirit, but his rather shapeless style suggests that fun
damentally he wants to play pretty and is awkward with the
wilder leanings which this setting encourages. His thin, light tone
shies away from any effects and he sometimes sounds a t it intimi
dated by loud bass and drums. The record is far too lc ng and is
interesting as an unvarnished block of music, but it's scarcely a
cogent statement.
Pete Minger (1943-2000)
FLUGELHORN, TRUMPET
Mainstream trumpeter with varied big-band experien :e.
*** Minger Painting
Jazz Alliance 10005 Minger; Dolph Castellano (p); K^ter Betts
(b); Bobby Durham (d). 10/83.
*** Look To The Sky
Concord CCD 4555 Minger; John Campbell (p); Kiy\)sk
Kitagawa (b); Ben Riley (d). 8/92.
Though cut almost ten years apart, there's little 10 choose
between these dates: Minger, a long-time Basie sideman in the
1970s, turns to the flugelhorn more often than the trumpet and
secures the big, warm, comfortable sound that is almost a cliche'
in brass playing. The earlier date is livelier, the second t ikes more
of a bath in the handsome Concord engineering an i benefits
from Campbell's useful commentaries. Minger alway> takes his
time, flowing over fast tempos with a relaxed assuranc e, and the
consequence is a fundamentally tranquil but satisfying ii; jazz.
Charles Mingus (1922-79)
DOUBLE BASS, PIANO, COMPOSER
The turbulent voice of Beneath the Underdog, Mingw:s self-told
story of life and hard times, is audible in every note 0} music
as well. He was born in Nogales, Arizona, and grew up in Los
Angeles, in the combustible district of Watts. After lea -ning cello
and trombone, he took to double bass and almost at once started
to write a workbook of compositions that was to conti me devel
oping through his life. Working with vibist Red Norvo v 'as his first
CHARLES MINGUS
exposure to critical attention, and thereafter he became involved
in the bebop scene, playing with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and
Bud Powell at the famous Massey Hall concert. In the '50s he
devised a workshop approach to improvisation and started mov
ing towards the ambitious large-scale work that yielded the classic
Black Saint And The Sinner Lady. Mingus regularly fell foul of
authority and fell out with colleagues, but he was a tireless activist
for the music, founding Debut Records and starting the Jazz Art
ists Guild in opposition to the commercialization of jazz. This
marginalized him, and in the later '60s Mingus more or less went
into seclusion as Thelonious Monk had before him. Later years
were happier, more productive and won him belated critical
attention. Near the end of his life, disabled by illness, he was hon
oured by the White House, and by a president from the segrega
tionist South. It was both a fitting and an ironic end to a fiery
**** The Complete Debut Recordings
Debut 12DCD 4402 12CD Mingus; Miles Davis, Dizzy
Gillespie, Louis Mucci, Thad Jones, Clarence Shaw (t); Eddie
Bert, Willie Dennis, Bennie Green, J.J Johnson, Jimmy Knepper,
Kai Winding, Britt Woodman (tb); Julius Watkins (frhn);
Charlie Parker, Lee Konitz, Joe Maini (as); Paige Brook, Eddie
Caine (as,f); George Barrow, Phil Urso (ts); Frank Wess, Shaft
Hadi, Teo Macero (ts,f); Danny Bank, Pepper Adams (bs);John
LaPorta, Julius Baker (woodwinds); Spaulding Givens, Hank
Jones, Wynton Kelly, Wade Legge, John Lewis, John Mehegan,
Phyllis Pinkerton, Bill Triglia, Mal Waldron, Hazel Scott (p);
Teddy Charles (vib); George Koutzen, Jackson Wiley (do); Fred
Zimmerman (b); Elvin Jones, Kenny Clarke, Al Levitt, Joe
Morello, Dannie Richmond, Max Roach, Art Taylor (d); Phineas
Newborn Jr, Horace Parian (pere); Bob Benton, George Gordon,
George Gordon Jr, Honey Gordon, Richard Gordon, Jackie Paris
(v). 4/51-9/57.
*** Debut Rarities: Volume 1
Original Jazz Classics OJC 1807 Mingus; Ernie Royal (t); Willie
Dennis, Jimmy Knepper (tb); Joe Maini (as); Eddie Caine (as,f);
Teo Macero (ts, f); John Lewis, Bill Triglia (p); Jackson Wiley
(do); Kenny Clarke, Dannie Richmond (d). 10/53,6/57.
***(*) Debut Rarities: Volume 2
Original Jazz Classics OJC 1808 Mingus; Spaulding Givens (p);
Max Roach (d). 4/5i>4/53«
*** Debut Rarities: Volume 3
Original Jazz Classics OJC 1821 Mingus; Clarence Shaw (t);
Shafti Hadi (as, f); Pepper Adams (bs); Wade Legge,
Wynton Kelly (p); Henry Grimes (b); Dannie Richmond
(d). 9?/57-
**(*) Debut Rarities: Volume 4
Original Jazz Classics OJC 1829 Mingus; Lee Konitz (as); Paige
Brook (as, f); John Mehegan, Hank Jones, Phyllis Pinkerton (p);
George Koutzen, Jackson Wiley (do); Al Levitt, Max Roach (d);
Bob Benton, Jackie Paris, The Gordons (v). 4/52,4/53.
*** Jazz Composers Workshop
Savoy SV 0171 Mingus; John LaPorta (cl, as); George
Barrow, Teo Macero (ts, bs); Mal Waldron (p); Rudy
Nichols (d). 10/54.
1030
**(*)Jazzical Moods
Original Jazz Classics OJCCD 1857 Mingus; Thad Jones (t);
John LaPorta (cl, as); Teo Macero (ts, bs); Jackson Wiley (do);
Clem De Rosa (d). 12/54.
**(*) The Jazz Experiments Of Charlie Mingus
Bethlehem BET6016 Asabove. 12/54.
Huge, paradoxical and immensely influential, Mingus's true sig
nificance has taken a long time to be recognized, though most of
his innovations have long since been absorbed by the modern/
avant-garde movement. In that regard, he is very different from
the broadly comparable Monk, whose work is still not fully
assimilated and understood but who has been almost casually
canonized. In addition to pioneering modern bass-playing,
Mingus is responsible for some of the greatest large-scale com
positions in modern 'jazz', beside which overblown efforts like
Ornette Coleman's Skies Of America look positively sophomoric;
Mingus also transformed the conception of collective impro
visation, restoring the energies and occasionally the sound of
early jazz to an identifiably modern idiom. He pioneered over-
dubbing and editing, thereby paving the way for Miles Davis and
Teo Macero, who appears on these curiously lifeless, virtually
identical compilations from two albums recorded for Period.
These can really only be mined for pointers to more impressive
work later. 'Four Hands' experiments with overdubbed piano
(not quite like Claude Williamson's two-piano essays on the
same label), and there are out-of-tempo sections that anticipate
later, more radical experiments. 'What Is This Thing Called
Love' undergoes interesting transformations, in keeping with
Mingus's palimpsest approach to standards and new composi
tion, and the use of cello (one of Mingus's first instruments) is
intriguing. The problem lies in the playing. Macero - later to
achieve his apotheosis as producer/arranger for Miles Davis - is
unpalatably dry, and the drummer tackles his part with no dis
cernible enthusiasm. The Fresh Sound and overlapping Bethle
hem (which was formerly issued under the name Abstractions)
also contain Macero's Third Streamish 'Abstractions', but that's a
fairly minor plus. For serious Mingus scholars only.
The inevitably pricey Debut set, which covers the period 1951
to 1957, is a completist's dream. The musician-owned Debut was
started by Mingus and Max Roach as a way of getting their own
adventurous music recorded, and it was briefly influential. With
nearly 170 individual tracks under 19 nominal leaderships, and
including many alternative takes, it's an exhaustive and occasion
ally exhausting compilation, well out of the range and probable
requirements of the average fan, who may have some of the ma
terial elsewhere. One example might well be Mingus's own tape-
recording of the famous Massey Hall, Toronto, 'Quintet of the
Year' gig of 15 May 1953, and it's good to know that even some of
the lesser material remains in circulation. The four Rarities
abstracts may well be enough for most people, particularly those
who have other, more accessible stuff on LP. The duos with
Givens on Volume 2 are well worth dusting down, as are the 1957
Workshop pieces on Volume 4, which point the way forward to
Mingus's 1960s masterpieces.
*** Mingus At The Bohemia
Original Jazz Classics OJC 045 Mingus; Eddie Bert (tb); George
Barrow (ts);Mal Waldron (p); Willie Jones, Max Roach
(d). 12/55.
1031
*** Plus Max Roach
Original Jazz Classics OJC 440 Asabove. 12/55.
The Jazz Workshop in fine, searching form. Jones, who was to
figure on the classic Pithecanthropus Erectus but who nowadays
is little regarded, came to Mingus at Thelonious Monk's behest.
The opening theme on At The Bohemia is a Monk dedication
(with Waldron re-creating an authentic cadence) that underlines
Mingus's increasing emphasis on the rhythm section as a pro
active element in improvisation. 'Septemberly' is a character
istic hybrid of 'Tenderly' and 'September In The Rain', and
'Percussion Discussion' a duet between Mingus, on bass and
cello, and Max Roach, just one of a long line of challenging duos
set up by or for the great drummer. The rest of the material from
this session was issued on a Prestige album called simply Charles
Mingus (HB 6042).
**** Pithecanthropus Erectus
Atlantic 81227 5357-2 Mingus; Jackie McLean (as); J.R
Monterose (ts); Mal Waldron (p); Willie Jones (d). 1/56.
One of the truly great modern jazz albums. Underrated at the
time, Pithecanthropus Erectus is now recognized as an important
step in the direction of a new, freer synthesis in jazz. To some
extent, the basic thematic conception (the story of mankind's
struggle out of chaos, up and down the Freytag's Triangle of
hubris and destruction, back to chaos) was the watered-down
Spenglerism which was still fashionable at the time. Technically,
though, the all-in ensemble work on the violent C section, which
is really B, a modified version of the harmonically static second
section, was absolutely crucial to the development of free collec
tive improvisation in the following decade. The brief'Profile Of
Jackie' is altogether different. Fronted by McLean's menthol-
sharp alto, with Monterose (a late appointee who wasn't al
together happy with the music) and Mingus working on a
shadowy counter-melody, it's one of the most appealing tracks
Mingus ever committed to record, and the most generous of his
'portraits'. McLean still carried a torch for orthodox bebop and
soon came to (literal) blows with Mingus; the chemistry worked
just long enough. 'Love Chant' is a more basic modal explora
tion, and 'A Foggy Day' - re-subtitled 'In San Francisco' - is
an impressionistic reworking of the Gershwin standard, with
Chandleresque sound-effects. Superficially jokey, it's no less
significant an effort to expand the available range of jazz per
formance, and the fact that it's done via a standard rather than a
long-form composition like 'Pithecanthropus' gives a sense of
Mingus's Janus-faced approach to the music.
*** The Clown
Rhino/Atlantic R2 75590 Mingus; Jimmy Knepper (tb); Shaft
Hadi (as, ts); Wade Legge (p); Dannie Richmond (d); Jean
Shepherd (v). 2 8c 3/57.
With the first appearance of'Reincarnation Of A Lovebird' and
the mono a mono simplicities of'Haitian Fight Song' (which saw
Mingus build a huge, swinging performance out of the simplest
thematic material), this is not a negligible record. It has never,
though, been a great favourite. 'Blue Cee' is a dedication to
Mingus's wife and has an almost gloomy cast. Throughout the
album, the bassist grunts and hollers encouragement to himself
and his players; perhaps he was still thinking about Bud Powell,
who was apt to vocalize over his solos, because he had planned a
CHARLES MNGUS
'portrait' of Powell before these sessions. The title-track is a
reminder of Mingus's obsession with words and texts; Jean
Shepherd's narration is fine, but one quickly longs for tl ie instru
mental versions that Mingus included in club sets there* fter. This
is one of the few quality albums of Mingus's which is routinely
neglected. That seems a pity.
***(*) Tijuana Moods Complete
RCA Victor 7432174999-2 Mingus; Clarence Shaw (t); Jimmy
Knepper (tb); Shaft Hadi (as); Bill Triglia (p); Dannie R ichmond
(d); Frankie Dunlop (pere); Ysabel Morel (castanets); 1 \onnie
Elder (v). 7 & 8/57.
***(*) East Coasting
Bethlehem BET 6014 As above, except omit Triglia, i\ lorel,
Dunlop, Elder; add Bill Evans (p). 8/57.
*** A Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music And Poet y
Bethlehem 6015 As above, except omit Evans; add Bi I
Hardman (t), Bob Hammer, Horace Parian (p), Melvi 1 Stewart
(v). 10/57.
Tijuana Moods Complete combines the original rehase with
the complete (that is, unedited) performances from i vhich the
label not always successfully spliced together LP-length tracks.
'Ysabel's Table Dance'/'Tijuana Table Dance' is the cla ;sic track,
with Mingus's structures constantly erupting into grou) improv
isations. Nothing else quite compares with that trac c, though
'Dizzy Mood' is also very fine, and 'Los Mariachos' is an impres
sive piece of writing. There is inevitably a bit more room on the
longer versions for the soloists to stretch out; but, apart Tom that,
most seasoned listeners will probably still want to cue tl e original
releases on their CD players rather than the restored versions.
What Tijuana Moods called for was better editing, not r o editing.
The atmospheric East Coasting and the similarly constituted
Symposium are part of the same cycle of pieces and b :ar strong
similarities, in construction, material and, of course, jiersonnel.
'Conversation' and 'West Coast Ghost' and the glorious ly expres
sive 'Celia' are brilliantly realized collective perform* nces and,
while none of the pieces is quite as ambitious as the Tiju ina struc
tures, they all pay tribute to Mingus's growing stature is a grand
synthesizer of blues, bop and swing, with the shadow of some
thing entirely new hovering on the music's inner hori: :ons.
The Symposium - and how extraordinary that title r ow seems
- was an opportunity for Mingus to experiment with texts and
with pure sound. 'Scenes In The City' reworks some of the ideas
he had sketched in 'Foggy Day' on Pithecanthropus E ectus, but
with a much greater degree of finish. The 'New York Sketchbook'
is a parallel piece, finely drawn and performed, with S law rising
above himself and playing some of the best trumpet heard on a
Mingus album for some time before or since.
***(*) Jazz Portraits: Mingus In Wonderland
Blue Note 827325 Mingus; John Handy (as); Booker, Irvin (ts);
Richard Wyands (p); Dannie Richmond (d). 1/59.
Mingus's appearance as part of the Nonagon At Gallery
Composers' Showcase series in 1959 was a significant r loment of
recognition for a man whose life was passed in resist* nee to the
'jazz musician' tag. Previous composers showcased there had
been Virgil Thomson, Aaron Copland and Carlos Cha rez, and in
addition there had been notable appearances by the MJQ and
Cecil Taylor.
CHARLES MINGUS
Working with something of a scratch band (the all-important
Horace Parian wasn't available), more emphasis than usual fell
on Mingus's bass playing, which is consistently marvellous
from the opening moody strains of'Nostalgia In Times Square',
written as part of the soundtrack to John Cassavetes's movie,
Shadows, to the closing 'Alice's Wonderland', which gave the
record its first release title. 'I Can't Get Started' had become one
of his favourite standards, indeed the only non-original that
seemed to fire him up to the heights of invention audible here,
fiery double-stops and intense lyrical passages alternating with
softer, almost guitar-like strums. Until recently, this has been one
of the less well-known Mingus records (and on a label not nor
mally associated with him). It's a welcome addition to the
catalogue.
***(*) Blues And Roots
Rhino/Atlantic R2 75205 Mingus; Willie Dennis, Jimmy
Knepper (tb); John Handy, Jackie McLean (as); Booker Ervin (ts);
Pepper Adams (bs); Horace Parian, Mal Waldron (p); Dannie
Richmond (d). 2/59.
* **** Mingus Ah Urn
Columbia CK 65512 As above, except omit Waldron, McLean;
add Shaft Hadi (ts). 5/59.
A classic period. This was the point where, rising forty in just a
couple of years and aware of the encroachment of younger and
perhaps more accommodating musicians, he began to show his
absolute understanding of the African-American musical tradi
tion. Ah Um is an extended tribute to ancestors, cemented by the
gospellish 'Better Git It In Your Soul', a mood that is also present
on Blues And Roots with the well-loved 'Wednesday Night Prayer
Meeting' in its doubled-up 6/4 time. Everything here has its place.
The shouts and yells, the magnificently harmonized ostinati
which fuel 'Tensions' and the almost jolly swing of'My Jelly Roll
Soul' (Blues And Roots), the often obvious edits and obsessive
recycling of his own previous output, all contribute to records
which are entire unto themselves and hard to fault on any count.
Extra material from the Ah Um session was made available on a
Columbia disc called Nostalgia In Times Square, but it would be
sacrilegious to tamper now with something as perfectly balanced;
three-quarters of an hour of sheer genius. The latest (digipack)
reissue of Blues And Roots, however, contains four alternative
tracks, perfectly viable performances in their own right, albeit
lacking the indefinable dramatic tension of the release versions.
*** Mingus Dynasty
Columbia CK 65513 Mingus; Don Ellis, Richard Williams (t);
Jimmy Knepper (tb); Jerome Richardson (f, bs); John Handy (as);
Booker Ervin, Benny Golson (ts); Teddy Charles (vib); Roland
Hanna, NicoBunink (p); Maurice Brown, Seymour Barab (do);
Dannie Richmond (d); Honey Gordon (v). 11/59.
Often, mistakenly but understandably, thought to refer to a post
humous album, Mingus Dynasty is a pretty obvious pun when
looked at twice. It wraps up a period of activity that seems to
catch Mingus in mid-mood-swing between fired up and confi
dent and way down low. 'Strollin" is a version of 'Nostalgia On
Times Square' and the music written for the (mostly improvised)
John Cassavetes film, Shadows, in which jazz almost takes the
place of orderly narrative dialogue. There is also a version of
'Gunslinging Bird', a take each of'Song With Orange', 'Far Wells,
1032
Mill Valley', 'Slop' and, memorably, 'Mood Indigo'. As with so
many other Mingus albums, this is somehow better and more
coherent than it ought to be. Though not intended to be put
together in this form, it works as an entity, and one wouldn't want
the original sessions to be reconstructed in any other way.
***(*) The Complete 1959 Columbia Sessions
Sony 65145 3CD Mingus; Don Ellis (t); Willie Dennis, Jimmy
Knepper (tb); John Handy (as, cl); Shaft Hadi (as, ts); Booker
Ervin, Benny Golson (ts); Jerome Richardson (bs,f); Sir Roland
Hanna, Horace Parian (p); Teddy Charles (vib); Dannie
Richmond (d); Honey Gordon (v). 5 & 11/59.
*** Alternate Takes
Sony CK 65514 Asabove. 5 8c 11/59.
Lifted from the sessions that went to the making of Ah Um and
Mingus Dynasty, this elegant three-CD set includes a good deal
of unreleased and alternative material previously available only
on the exhaustive Mosaic box. It's obviously good to have it all
back together again, though it isn't clear why Sony decided to
release the alternatives separately as a single CD. Of largely spe
cialist interest, this compilation of rejected takes includes 'Better
Git It In Your Soul', 'Bird Calls', 'Jelly Roll', 'Song With Orange',
'Diane' and 'New Now Know How'. Though almost any Mingus
performance of almost any period is likely to contain music of
interest, and very little of it merely routine, there isn't much here
that changes the existing picture. For trainspotters only. The
boxed set is more appealing, but no amount of extra material
adds any gloss to the magnificence of the original albums.
***Pre-Bird
Verve 538636-2 Mingus; Marcus Belgrave, Ted Curson, Hobart
Dotson, Clark Terry, Richard Williams (t); Eddie Bert, Charles
Greenlee, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Knepper (tb); Don Butterfield
(tba); Robert DiDomenica (f); Harry Schulman (ob); Eric
Dolphy (as, bel, f); John LaPorta (as, cl); Yusef Lateef (ts, f); Bill
Barron, Booker Ervin (ts); Jake Hanna (p); Dannie Richmond
(d). 60.
*** Mingus Revisited
Emarcy 826 496 As above, except add Danny Bank, Charles
Greenlee (tb), Don Butterfield (tba), Joe Farrell, Harold Shulman
(woodwinds), Paul Bley, Sir Roland Hanna (p), Charles
McCracken (do), Sticks Ev,ans, George Scott (d, pere), Lorraine
Cousins (v). 5/60.
Mingus Revisited was originally released as Pre-Bird in i960,
before being reissued by the Limelight label five years later with
a liner-note by Leonard Feather. With the exception of 'Half-
Mast Inhibition', a piece written by Mingus when he was just
eighteen, conducted by Gunter Schuller, all the material is in
short-song form, opening with a strikingly original sandwich of
'Take The "A" Train' and Dorothy Fields' 'Exactly Like You' and
continuing later with another Ducal interpolation, 'I Let A Song
Go Out Of My Heart' amidst 'Do Nothing Till You Hear From
Me'; this is a record that puts all its emphasis on ensemble playing
rather than extended soloing. Verve have now reissued the orig
inal session as it was intended to be heard, though it seems
slightly odd that both albums should remain in catalogue. All
that is extra on Revisited are two songs, albeit two of Mingus's
most important, 'Eclipse' and 'Weird Nightmare', sung with
1033
estranged passion by Lorraine Cousins, one of the few Mingus
interpreters to understand the balance between music and text
**** Mingus At Antibes
Atlantic 7567 90532-2 Mingus; Ted Curson (t); Eric Dolphy (as,
bel); Booker Ervin (ts); Bud Powell (p); Dannie Richmond
(d). 7/60.
Charles Delaunay memorably likened Mingus's performance in
the mellow warmth of Juan-les-Pins to a 'cold shower'. Certainly
in comparison with the rest of the Antibes line-up, the 1960s band
was intellectually recherche' and somewhat forceful. Unreleased
until after Mingus's death - the tapes had lain, unexamined, in
Atlantic's vault - the set contains a valuable preview of some of
the material to be recorded that autumn for Candid, below, and
for a thumping 'I'll Remember April' with the exiled Bud Powell
guesting. Mingus himself gets behind the piano on a number of
occasions, perhaps trying to give the slightly chaotic ensembles
more shape. The essence of the performance lies in the solos.
Ervin is fine on 'Better Git Hit In Your Soul', as is Dolphy, still
sounding like a renegade Parker disciple, on a first version of the
gospelly 'Folk Forms', which reappears on Presents, below. The
bass/bass-clarinet sparring on 'What Love' isn't quite as over the
top as the later, studio version, but it shows how far Dolphy was
prepared to move in the direction of Ornette Coleman's new syn
thesis. Not just another 'previously unreleased' money-spinner,
the Antibes set contains genuinely important material. The
chance to hear a Mingus concert in its entirety offers valuable
clues to his methods at the time.
**** Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus
Candid CCD 79005 Mingus; Ted Curson (t); Eric Dolphy (as,
bd); Dannie Richmond (d). 10/60.
***(*) Charles Mingus
Candid CCD 79021 As above, except add Lonnie Hillyer (t),
Jimmy Knepper, Britt Woodman (tb), Booker Ervin (ts), Paul
Bley, Nico Bunink (p). 10/60.
*** Reincarnation Of A Love Bird
Candid CCD 79026 As above, except omit Woodman, Bunink;
add Roy Eldridge (t), Tommy Flanagan (p), Jo Jones (d). 11/60.
**(*) Mysterious Blues
Candid CCD 79042 Asabove. 10 8c 11/60.
Mingus's association with Candid was brief (though no briefer
than the label's first existence) and highly successful. His long
club residency in i960 (interrupted only by festival appearances)
gave him an unwontedly stable and played-in band to take into
the studio (he recorded a fake - and uncommonly polite - night
club intro for the set), and the larger-scale arrangement of
'MDM' negatively reflects the solidity of the core band. Presents
is for piano-less quartet and centres on the extraordinary vocal
ized interplay between Dolphy and Mingus; on 'What Love' they
carry on a long conversation in near-comprehensible dialect.
'Folk Forms' is wonderfully pared down and features a superb
Mingus solo. 'All The Things You Could Be By Now If Sigmund
Freud's Wife Was Your Mother' has a wry fury (Mingus once said
that it had been written in the psych ward at Bellevue) which is
more than incidentally suggestive of 'harmolodic' and 'punk'
procedures of the 1980s. The 'Original Faubus Fables' was a fur
ther experiment in the use of texts, here a furious rant against
CHARLES M INGUS
what Mingus later called 'Nazi USA, and his later '60s brothers
'Amerika'. It's powerfully felt but less well integrated in its blend
of polemic and music than Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite on
the same label.
If Presents is a classic, Charles Mingus falls slightly si ort. The
augmented band on 'MDM' sounds uninspired, eithei unfam
iliar or unhappy with the material (which isn't exce rtionally
demanding). 'Stormy Weather', also released on Candid Dolphy,
below, features a monster introduction by the saxopho list. Like
'ATTYCBBNISFWWYM' above, 'Lock 'Em Up' makes j ome ref
erence to Bellevue (or to Charlie Parker's 'holiday' in Ca marillo),
if only because it's taken at the same hare-brained t ace, and
Mingus bellows instruction to his troops in a voice ths t sounds
on the brink. At producer Nat Hentoff's suggestion, he had
attempted to vary the existing band and re-create the 1 mergy of
the 'Newport rebels' anti-festival by bringing in past a isociates.
The most notable of these was Roy Eldridge, who is featured
(with Knepper, Flanagan and Jo Jones also guesting, a > the Jazz
Artists Guild) on the long 'R 8c R', a superb 'Body And Soul',
and a previously unreleased 'Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams'.
'Reincarnation Of A Love Bird' and 'Bugs' are both Parker-
inspired. The title-track features Hillyer, McPherson i nd Ervin
over Dolphy's uncredited bass clarinet (Curson isn't listed either,
and is mentioned only in Brian Priestley's characteristically
detailed liner-note). By no means a classic Mingus dbum, it
restores some fascinating performances and alternatives from a
critical period in his career. Needless to say, worth ha ring (and
enthusiasts should take note of another 'Reincarnati m' along
with the Dolphy-led 'Stormy Weather' on the label con lpilation,
Candid Dolphy (CCD 9033)).
The descending order of stars gives a fair account of i\ lysterious
Blues' place in this sequence. Not much more than a col lection of
bin-ends and alternatives, it's likely to appeal only to serious
Mingus collectors. Taking up nine and a half minutes with a
drum solo by Richmond (who was never an inspiring soloist) is
the main symptom of padding. The rejected 'Body And Soul'
has some nice Dolphy and Flanagan, but still isn't pj rticularly
compelling.
* * * 0 h Ye a h
Rhino/Atlantic R2 75589 Mingus; Jimmy Knepper (t'?);
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (ts, manzello, stritch,f, siren); Booker
Ervin (ts); Doug Watkins (b); Dannie Richmond (d). 11/61.
The addition of Rahsaan Roland Kirk gave the Mingui band the
kind of surreality evident on the spaced-out blues, 'Ecclusiastics',
which Mingus leads from the piano. Kirk is also the mj in attrac
tion on 'Wham Bam, Thank You Ma'am', a typically d e-roman-
ticized standard. On the closing 'Passions Of A Man' Mingus
overdubbed a bizarre, associative rap, which is rather more effec
tive than the instrumental backing. Odd. Damned odd even; but
a significant instance of Mingus's often desperate conflation of
music and words in the search for some higher synthesis.
**** Passions Of A Man
Rhino/Atlantic R2 72871 6CD As for Atlantic albun\s. 56-61.
As will have been seen from the above sequence, ittdo<:sn't't make
entire sense to talk about 'the Atlantic years', because th label was
never an exclusive focus of attention, and there is a co isiderable
amount of overlap with other imprints, often usinj; identical
CHARLES MINGUS
line-ups. However, the albums the bassist made for the Erteguns
are among the best in the canon: Pithecanthropus Erectus, The
Clown, Mingus At Antibes, the little-known Tonight At Noon,
Mingus Oh Yeah! and the user-friendly Blues And Roots. Some of
the material from it turned up, reworked, on the earliest of Min
gus's Columbia sessions, and Ah Um almost feels like a record
from the same stable. This, though, was a period in which the
creative and experimental fires were at their height; there is an
astonishing level of creative interplay between projects. As
throughout his career, it wasn't so much a case of plans going
awry as of ideas becoming fragmented and being distributed
across foreground and background of the discography. Rhino's
compilation has restored Tonight At Noon, a two-part work, to its
position amid the sessions that yielded Oh Yeah! and The Clown.
The set contains about 30 minutes of previously unissued music,
not much for a six-CD (or effectively five, since the last of the run
is devoted to interview material, more than an hour of Mingus's
blustery 'What, then, I contradict myself...' observation of his
life, music and milieu). Of the new material, the most important
is alternative tracks from Blues And Roots which has itself recently
been polished and reissued to the same crisp standard. Inevitably
an expensive item, but one that every genuine Mingus fan will
want to have, since so much of this music was, as another Amer
ican poet put it, the 'cry of its occasion', less meaningful when
heard out of context and out of chronology.
***The Complete Town Hall Concert
Blue Note 28353 Mingus; Snooky Young, Ernie Royal, Richard
Williams, Clark Terry, Lonnie Hillyer, Ed Armour, RolfEricson
(t); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, Willie Dennis, Eddie Bert,
Jimmy Cleveland (tb); Don Butterfield (tba); Charles
McPherson, Charlie Mariano (as); Buddy Collette (as, ts,f);Eric
Dolphy (as, bel, f); Booker Ervin, Zoot Sims (ts); Dick Hafer (ts,
d,f, ob); Pepper Adams (bs); Jerome Richardson (bs, ss,f); Teddy
Charles (vib); Toshiko Akiyoshi, Jaki Byard (p); Les Spann (g);
Milt Hinton (b); Dannie Richmond (d, tim). 10/62.
An object case in the extraordinary performance history of
Mingus's music. These ambitious charts, which were related to
the huge Epitaph suite performed only after his death, were being
prepared for a recording or concert-recording (the ambiguity
was never quite settled) at New York's Town Hall. (This shouldn't
be confused with the later occasion listed and discussed below.)
Preparations were chaotic and there was no proper run-through
on the night, leaving a body of material which was significantly
flawed and in some cases considered unreleasable. The original
LP lasted only 36 minutes. This re-issue, digitally remixed from
the original three-track tapes and produced by biographer Brian
Priestley, restores the whole extraordinary occasion with one
minor re-ordering of tracks. 'Clark In The Dark', a feature for
trumpeter Terry, is marred by a completely skew-whiff mix; the
engineer still apparently hadn't managed to effect a proper bal
ance. The next piece, 'Osmotin', breaks off, much like some of the
internal sections on Blues And Roots and Ah Um. The opening
part of'Epitaph' features a glorious solo from Dolphy, commu
nicating with the leader on a level far beyond any of the other
soloists. There are versions of'Peggy's Blue Skylight', more from
'Epitaph' and a new contrafact, 'My Search', on 'I Can't Get
Started'. With time marching on, and the audience - presumably
unused to the disciplines of recording - becoming restless, Min
1034
gus was signalled to stop towards the end of 'Please Don't You
Come Back From The Moon', one of the previously unissued
tracks. At this point, with the leader heading offstage and many
of the players winding up, Terry, who'd kicked the whole thing
off, went into 'In A Mellotone', and brought the band together
again.
It was, to be sure, something of a shambles, but a magnificent
shambles. The reconstructed evening has its rough edges and
unresolved parts, but it is an essential document in Mingus's
progress, and who can say what might have happened had the
record company been more accommodating and smart enough
to realize that it was virtually impossible and also undesirable to
tape so much brand-new music, some of it being (re) written on
the spot in front of an audience. For all its frustrations and its
rather shambolic feel, this is essential Mingus.
* **** The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Impulse! 051174-2 Mingus; RolfEricson, Richard Williams (t);
Quentin Jackson, Don Butterfield (tba); Jerome Richardson (as,
bs,f); Booker Ervin (ts); DickHafer (ts,f); Charlie Mariano (as);
Jaki Byard (p); Dannie Richmond (d). 1/63.
***(*) Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Impulse! 051170-2 As above, except add Britt Woodman (tb),
Jay Berliner (g). 18c 9/63.
Black Saint is Mingus's masterpiece. Almost everything about it
was distinctive: the long form, the use of dubbing, the liner-note
by Mingus's psychiatrist. On its release, they altered its usual slo
gan, 'The new wave of jazz is on Impulse!', to read 'folk', in Une
with Mingus's decision to call the group the Charles Mingus New
Folk Band. Ellingtonian in ambition and scope, and in the dispo
sition of horns, the piece has a majestic, dancing presence, and
Charlie Mariano's alto solos and overdubs on 'Mode D/E/F' are
unbelievably intense. There is evidence that Mingus's desire to
make a single continuous performance (and it should be remem
bered that even Ellington's large-scale compositions were rela
tively brief) failed to meet favour with label executives; but there
is an underlying logic even to the separate tracks which makes it
difficult to separate them other than for the convenience of track
listing. Absolutely essential.
Mingus etc. comes from the same and one later session. It
includes 'Celia' and 'I X Love', both older pieces, both distin
guished by great Mariano performances, with 'Theme For Lester
Young', which is a variant on 'Goodbye, Pork Pie Hat', and 'Better
Git Hit In Your Soul'. Nothing comes close to Black Saint, but the
pair give an even better account of Mingus's thinking at the time.
Whatever the compromises forced upon him in the past by musi
cians (or now by his label), he is creating music of classic scope
and lasting value.
*** Mingus Plays Piano
Impulse! 051217-2 Mingus (p solo). 7/63.
Mingus played something more than 'composer's piano'
throughout his career. His touch and harmonic sense were so
secure that, though hardly virtuosic, he more than passes muster
on a very resonant and richly toned instrument with what sounds
like a very brisk action. It's interesting to hear themes like 'Orange
Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk' reduced to their
essentials in this way, though the true highlights are 'When I Am
1035
Real' and a thoroughly unabashed 'Body And Soul'. Not in the
front rank of Mingus albums, but certainly not just for collectors.
****Town Hall Concert 1964
Original Jazz Classics OJC 042 Mingus; Johnny Coles (t); Eric
Dolphy (as, ft, bd); Clifford Jordan (ts); Jaki Byard (p); Dannie
Richmond (d). 4/64.
*** Mingus In Europe: Volume 1
Enja3049 Asabove. 4/64.
*** Mingus In Europe: Volume 2
Enja3077 Asabove. 4/64.
*** Live In Amsterdam: Volume 1
Aroc 1204 As above. 4/64.
*** Live In Amsterdam: Volume 2
Aroc 1205 Asabove. 4/64.
***(*) The Great Concert, Paris 1964
Musidisc 500072 2CD As above, except add Johnny Coles
(t). 4/64.
This is undoubtedly the most heavily documented period of
Mingus's career. The Town Hall concert predated the European
tour, and this set consists of two long tracks which strongly fea
ture Dolphy (the dedicatee) on each of his three horns. The
release shouldn't be confused with a 1962 Blue Note recording of
the same name, which contains entirely different material.
There is a vast amount of bootleg material from the European
tour of April 1964. We have omitted all but respectably licensed
releases. Dedicated collectors may want to check dates and itin
erary in our second edition and argue about the respective merits
of individual performances, for the repertoire overlaps very con
siderably. 'Peggy's Blue Skylight' is ubiquitous, only omitted on
Great Concert, other staples include 'Orange Was The Color Of
Her Dress, Then Blue Silk' and 'Fables Of Faubus'. 'So Long, Eric'
is sometimes described as a threnody or epitaph to the multi-
instrumentalist, who died on 29 June of that year, but there he is
playing it; the piece was actually supposed to be a reminder to
Dolphy (who'd decided to try his luck in Europe for a while) not
to stay 'over there' too long. Sadly, it was all too soon to become
a memorial.
A bonus on the Enjas (which were recorded in Wuppertal at
the opposite end of the month to the Amsterdam material, which
was taped on the 10th) is a flute-bass duo credited to Dolphy as
'Started', but actually based on 'I Can't Get Started'. 'Fables' was
awkwardly split on the LP format, and is very much better for
being heard entire.
*** Right Now
Original Jazz Classics OJC 237 Mingus; John Handy (as);
Clifford Jordan (ts); Jane Getz (p); Dannie Richmond (d). 6/64.
Two long cuts - 'Meditation (On A Pair Of Wire Cutters)' and a
revised 'Fables Of Faubus' - which were originally released on
Fantasy, featuring Mingus's Californian band of that summer.
Handy comes in only on 'New Fables' but sounds funky and a lot
more abrasive than McPherson. Jane Getz is by no means well
known, and is certainly less individual than the otherwise-
engaged Byard, but she acquits her piano duties more than
adequately.
CHARLES MjNGUS
*** Charles Mingus In Paris, 1970
DIW 326/7 2CD Mingus; Eddie Preston (t); Charles McPherson
(as); Bobby Jones (ts);Jaki Byard (p, arr); Dannie Richrnond
(d). 10/70.
In Paris is a rather straightforward, almost bland, concer: record
ing from the city and country where Mingus had some of his
more torrid moments. The repertoire combines recent arrange
ments with the well-worn but constantly evolving Ellington
medley, and yet another version of'Orange Was The Color ...'.
***(*) Live At Carnegie Hall
Rhino/Atlantic R2 72285 Mingus; Jon Faddis (t); Cha rles
McPherson (t);John Handy (as, ts); George Adams (ts) Roland
Kirk (ts, stritch); Hamiet Bluiett (bs); Don Pullen (p); 1 Dannie
Richmond (d).
What deep satisfaction he must have felt to see his nan te brack
eted with that of America's toniest concert hall, a small step for
ward in his insistence that jazz was Afro-America's classical
music. There is nothing classically calm about the music, which
rumbles threateningly, then hints at a sunnier mood {nd then,
just when the sky seems clear, delivers bolts of lightning. If it was
Duke Ellington who cleared the way for Afro-Americ ins to be
recognized as full partakers in the country's musical cull ure, then
the concert's apparent dedication to Duke and his spirit seems
entirely appropriate, with 'C Jam Blues' and 'Perdido' delivered
with respect. To be frank, there are better Mingus alb ums and
even the more chaotic live appearances delivered more compel
ling music than anything here, but it was an important step for
him and for creative jazz in general. Sometimes the even t is bigger
than any single element it contains.
***(*) Changes One
Rhino/Atlantic R2 71403 Mingus; Jack Walrath (t); C korge
Adams (ts); Don Pullen (p); Dannie Richmond (d). 1:774.
***(*) Changes Two
Rhino/Atlantic R2 71404 As above, except add Jackie Paris (v),
Marcus Belgrave (t). 12/74.
Long out of print, these are among the best of Minus's later
works. Recorded in a single session, they represent defii litive per
formances by a group that had played and gradually tra isformed
this material - 'Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress', 'Devil
Blues', two versions of 'Duke Ellington's Sound Of l,ove', one
instrumental, one vocal - over a longer period than a most any
previous Mingus unit. Some of the fire has definitely jone, and
there is a hint of studio polish that was never evident on the
band's live dates; but they are powerful records nevertri eless, and
essential documents for Mingus enthusiasts.
**** Thirteen Pictures: The Charles Mingus Anthology
Rhino R2 71402 3CD Mingus; Jack Walrath, Marcus Belgrave,
Hobart Dotson, Clark Terry, Bobby Bryant, Lonnie H llyer,
Melvin Moore, Eddie Preston, Richard Williams (t); L m
Blackburn, Jimmy Knepper, Eddie Bert, Jimmy Green ee, Slide
Hampton, Britt Woodman (tb); Don Butterfield, Red Zallender
(tba); Mauricio Smith (as, ss, f, pice); John Handy (as ts); Eric
Dolphy (as, f, bel); Lee Konitz, Jackie McLean, John Lc Porta,
Charles McPherson (as); Buddy Collette (as, f, pice); 1 'ooker
Ervin, Dick Hafer, Shaft Hadi, Roland Kirk, J.R Monterose,
George Barrow, Bill Barron, Joe Farrell, Ricky Ford (t$); Paul
MINGUS BIG BAND
Jeffrey (ts, ob); Yusef Lateef (ts, f); Danny Bank (bs); Bob
Didomenica (f); Harry Schulman (ob); Jerome Richardson, Jack
Nimitz (bs, bel); Gary Anderson (bel, cbel); GeneScholtes (bsn);
Jaki Byard, Phyllis Pinkerton, Sir Roland Hanna, Wade Legge,
Mal Waldron, Horace Parian, Duke Ellington, Bob Neloms (p);
George Koutzen, Charles McCracken (do); Doug Watkins (b);
Willie Jones, Al Levitt, Walter Perkins, Sticks Evans, Dannie
Richmond, Max Roach (d); Candido Camero, Alfredo Ramirez,
Bradley Cunningham (pere); Jackie Paris (v). 52-77.
An excellent compilation of Mingus's work for Atlantic, beauti
fully packaged in a box with a booklet of photographs. It con
tains material from Pre-Bird, ChazzHAt The Bohemia, Plays
Piano, Cumbia And Jazz Fusion, The Clown, the immortal Ah
Um, Oh Yeah and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus,
Pithecanthropus Erectus, Money Jungle, At Monterey and a rare
Debut single from 1952 with Jackie Paris as vocalist. The packag
ing and accompanying documentation are immaculate; the
music is, of course, brilliant. One can hardly imagine a nicer
present for someone who hasn't got all this stuff already.
*** Three Or Four Shades Of Blues
Atlantic 7567 81403 Mingus; Jack Walrath (t); Sonny Fortune
(as); George Coleman (ss, ts); Ricky Ford (ts); BobNeloms, Jimmy
Rowles (p); Philip Catherine, Larry Coryell, John Scofield (g);
Ron Carter, George Mraz (b); Dannie Richmond (d). 3/77.
Despite Mingus's deep and vocal reservations, this was one of his
most successful albums commercially. The addition of guitarists
clearly pitched it in the direction of the younger rock-buying
audience that Atlantic had targeted, and the record also included
staples like 'Goodbye, Pork Pie Hat' and 'Better Git Hit In Your
Soul' (presumably with a view to initiating that younger audi
ence). The title-track, though, is rather too broad in its catch-all
approach and sounds almost self-parodic. Mingus's health was
beginning to break down in 1977, and there are signs of queru-
lousness throughout, not least on 'Nobody Knows The Trouble
I've Seen'.
**(*) Cumbia And Jazz Fusion
Atlantic 8122 71785-2 Mingus; Jack Walrath (t, pere); Dino
Piana (tb); Jimmy Knepper (tb, btb); Mauricio Smith (fipicc, as,
ss); Quarto Maltoni (as); George Adams (ts, f); Ricky Ford (ts,
pere); Paul Jeffrey (ts, ob); Gary Anderson, Roberto Laneri (bel);
Anastasio Del Bono (ob, eng hn); Pasquale Sabatelli, Gene
Scholtes (bsn); Bob Neloms (p); Danny Mixon (p, org); Dannie
Richmond (d); Candido Camero, Daniel Gonzalez, Ray
Mantilla, Alfredo Ramirez, Bradley Cunningham (pere). 5/76-
3/77.
'Cumbia And Jazz Fusion' is a slightly messy piece that levels
some doubts at Mingus's remaining talents as arranger and
instrumentator. The ensembles are all rather congested, which
mars a fine and vibrant piece that ranks as one of his best late
compositions. There is a regularity to the basic metre and a sim
plicity of conception which make the rather opaque surface all
the more disappointing. The fault doesn't seem to lie with the
recording, which is well transferred. 'Music for Todo Modo' was
written (sight unseen) as soundtrack to the film by Elio Petri. The
ten-piece Italo-American band works a typically volatile score,
which includes a variant on 'Peggy's Blue Skylight' and some fine
blues.
1036
*** His Final Work
Master Dance Tones 8471 Mingus; Woody Shaw, Jack Walrath
(t); Peter Matt (frhn); Ricky Ford (ts); Gerry Mulligan (bs);
Lionel Hampton (vib); Bob Neloms (p); Dannie Richmond (d);
additional personnel 11/77.
Arranged and led by Lionel Hampton, this was a last fling in the
studio for the ailing Mingus, though he was to direct a couple
more sessions from his wheelchair. To be frank, the music is
rather routine. 'Fables Of Faubus' and 'Peggy's Blue Skylight'
have lost their antagonism and eager passion respectively and
now sound like well-structured charts, played with competence.
The new things are a bit drab, almost pastiche Mingus. Arranger
Paul Jeffrey has done a fine job, and even though the ever-
mischievous Jack Walrath lobs a few well-aimed cherry bombs,
the general impression is polite and unemphatic. Even so, it's
remarkable that a player of Hampton's generation and persua
sion should have chosen to be involved in this at all. The record
has a rather complicated discographical history and there may be
other versions of it in circulation. The version of'So Long, Eric'
certainly doesn't appear on them all.
Mingus Big Band
A 'ghost' group playing the music of Charles Mingus, featuring
ex-Mingusians and younger players in the spirit.
*** Nostalgia In Times Square
Dreyfus FDM 36955 2 Randy Brecker, Christopher Kase, Ryan
Kisor, Lew Soloff, Jack Walrath (t); Art Baron, SamBurtis, Frank
Lacy (tb); Dave Taylor (btb, tba); Alex Foster, Steve Slagle (as);
Chris Potter (as, ts);John Stubblefield, Craig Handy (ts); Ronnie
Cuber, Roger Rosenberg (bs); Joe Locke (vib); Kenny Drew Jr (p);
Michael Formanek, AndyMcKee (b); Victor Jones, Marvin
'Smitty' Smith (d); Ray Mantilla (pere). 3/93.
*** Gunslinging Birds
Dreyfus FDM 36575 2 As above, except omit Kase, Walrath,
Baron, Burtis, Taylor, Cuber, Rosenberg, Formanek, Jones, Smith,
Mantilla; add Philip Harper (t); Jamal Haynes, Earl Mclntyre
(tb); Gary Smulyan (bs); David Lee Jones (as); Adam Cruz
(d). 95.
**** uve in xime
Dreyfus FDM 36583 2 2CD Similar to above, except add Earl
Gardner, Alex Sipiagin (t); Robin Eubanks, ConradHerwig, Britt
Woodman (tb); Gary Bartz (as); Seamus Blake, Mark Shim
(ts). 96.
*** Que Viva Mingus
Dreyfus FDM 36593 2 Similar to above, except add Ryan Kisor
(t); Steve Turre (tb, shells); Earl Mclntyre (btb, tba); Vincent
Herring (as); David Sanchez (ts); Ronnie Cuber (bs); David
Kikoski (p); Gene Jackson (d); Steve Berrios, Milton Cardona
(pere); La Conja (v, pere). 9/97.
***(*) Blues And Politics
Dreyfus FDM 36603 2 Similar to above, except add Alex
Sipiagin (t); Bobby Watson (as); John Hicks (p); Boris Kozlov (b);
Jonathan Blake (d); Eric Mingus (v). 1/99.
1037
Of the projects dedicated to the great man's memory and legacy,
this is perhaps the most important, and now the most durable as
well, enjoying the active blessing of the composer's widow and
access to tapes and manuscripts from the huge Mingus archive.
The band began round a regular Thursday session at Fez under
the Time Cafie" in New York City. Mingus had shrewdly recog
nized that a band could rehearse at the public's expense if an event
was labelled a 'workshop' rather than a concert, and so the Min
gus Jazz Workshops were born. These days the task is perhaps less
urgent, and less driven by constraint; the Big Band provides an
opportunity to work through the scrolls, providing exegesis and
commentary on a vast body of work, little of which received
definitive performance during its creator's lifetime.
But what of the records themselves? The sleeve of Gunslinging
Birds is misprinted Mingus Big Bang, which is just about right.
Both the first records listed deliver with ferocious power and,
when required, some delicacy as well. As usual, the material is
taken from throughout the Mingus archive. Nostalgia is probably
more interesting in terms of material - 'Don't Be Afraid, The
Clown's Afraid, Too', 'Weird Nightmare', the title-piece - but the
playing and the recording are sharper and more exact on the later
album, which centres on a superb reading of'Fables Of Faubus'.
Live In Time of course refers to the venue, but it also under
scores the vital, ongoing nature of the project and the fact that all
of this music is being worked out in real time, in the laboratories
of the spirit rather than in the formaldehyde of musicological
analysis. A huge slab of music spread over two discs, it comes the
closest of the group to recapturing the spirit of Mingus himself.
The opening is stunning; 'Number 29' was written by Mingus as
a challenge to all the gunslinging trumpet players in town - and,
as written, it was impossible. Arranger Sy Johnson has spread the
part through the trumpet section and given it a hard, bi-tonal
quality that is pure Mingus. Two early pieces, 'Baby, Take A
Chance With Me' and 'This Subdues My Passion', are recorded
here for only the second time since they were written in the 1940s.
Conrad Herwig solos on the second, Frank Lacy and Gary Bartz
on the first. 'So Long Eric' is a tour deforce, a solo feature for the
entire horn section and one of the most sheerly exciting jazz
performances we have heard for years.
Disc two is not quite as powerful as the first, though Johnson's
long arrangement on 'The Shoes Of The Fisherman's Wife Are
Some Jive-Ass Slippers' and the superb 'E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too' are
impeccably conceived and performed. The night ends a day late
with 'Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting', a stunning solo from
Randy Brecker, ably supported by Mark Shim and Robin
Eubanks. A great jazz record and a worthy homage to one of jazz's
greatest composers.
Que Viva Mingus can't hope to reach the same heights, and for
some reason the band this time out doesn't sit quite right, sound
ing rather tired and lacking in lustre. There are some superb
moments, needless to say. Lacy, Stubblefield and Brecker make a
wondrous thing of 'Love Chant' and Sy Johnson's arrangement
of'Cumbia And Jazz Fusion' could hardly have been bettered by
the man himself. Many of the other arrangements are by Michael
Mossman, and he directs 'Tijuana Gift Shop', teeing off fine solos
from Ryan Kisor and Vince Herring. Ysabel - in the boisterous
form of La Conja - does her table dance to end the session.
Satisfying to Mingus buffs in unfolding further aspects of the
oeuvre, but it will perhaps appeal less to the uncommitted.
MINGUS DYNASTY
As the title suggests, Blues And Politics foregrounds Mingus's
fierce activism. It begins with the great man's voice, reciting 'It
Was A Lonely Day In Selma, Alabama' at the Tyrone Guthrie
Theater in Minneapolis, with interjections from the bar d of the
time. That segues into a new recording of'Freedom', am nged by
Mike Mossman and bracketed by archive and new recoi dings of
the narration by Charles and Eric Mingus. Boris Kozlov ] >lays the
opening cadenza of'Haitian Fight Song' on Mingus's o vn lion-
head bass, and the young Russian steals the apostolic th inder of
Andy McKee, who is relegated to a single solo on 'Pussy C at Dues'.
The Russian surfaces again on 'Goodbye Pork Pie Ha:', which
shifts the emphasis from politics to blues, and 'Meditations For
A Pair Of Wire Cutters'.
The lament for Lester Young opens with a magnificeni SSeamus
Blake cadenza which confirms his rising status, but he is 1
by Bobby Watson's searingly beautiful statement on 'Pussy Cat
Dues', a high point on the album. No sign that the legacy is in
anything but the safest and most committed hands, and :ertainly
no sign that Mingus's turbulent output will not continue to
inspire big-band performance of the highest quality and the
strongest passion.
Mingus Dynasty
Those with first-hand experience, and later admirers, come to
celebrate the music of Charles Mingus.
***(*) Reincarnation
Soul Note 121042 Richard Williams (t); Jimmy Knepher (tb);
Ricky Ford (ts); Sir Roland Hanna (p); Reggie Johnson (I); Kenny
Washington (d). 4/82.
*** Mingus's Sounds Of Love
Soul Note 121142 Randy Brecker (t); Jimmy Knepper (tb);
James Newton (f); Craig Handy (ts); Sir Roland Hanna (p);
Reggie Johnson (b); Kenny Washington (d). 9/87.
There have always been 'ghost bands', orchestras whic 1 contin
ued trading after the leader's death, like Hamlets wi hout the
prince or, as The Next Generation may call to mind, Star Trek
without Kirk and Spock. The best-known of these bands in jazz
are the Duke Ellington and Count Basie orchestras, their post
humous life justified by the perfectly reasonable feeling that what
makes a group distinctive is the handbook and the sol oists, not
the physical presence of the leader. It's a view that can I >e pushed
to absurdity; but, in the case of Charles Mingus, a nan who
regarded composition as a discipline which allowed oth ers to dis
cover their own musical language, it has a special sig tiificance.
These are records by the 'first' Mingus ghost band; tr e Mingus
Big Band sets, listed above, were the successors.
After Mingus's death, conscious that his artislic legacy
required careful investment, his widow, Sue Graham, formed
Mingus Dynasty in the hope of seeing the music con inuing to
develop. To sustain an element of apostolic succession, at least
one or two members of each line-up were to be musi :ians who
had either worked with or studied under Mingus. The s tudio ver
sion of'Sue's Changes' on Sounds Of Love gives Reggi 1 Johnson
one of his most forthright parts. 'The I Of Hurricane Sue'
THE MINSTRELS OF ANNIE STREET
and 'Ysabel's Table Dance' are both outstandingly good. The
band on Reincarnation is, if anything, even better and the choice
of material aimed to please, with 'Wednesday Night Prayer
Meeting', 'East Coasting' and 'Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love'
all featured. Williams solos with great pointedness.
***(*) Big Band Charlie Mingus: Live At The Theatre
Boulogne-Billancourt, Volume 1
Soul Note 121192 Randy Brecker (t); Jon Faddis (c); Mike
Zwerin, Jimmy Knepper (tb); John Handy (as); Clifford Jordan
(ts, ss); DavidMurray (ts, bd); NickBrignola (bs); Jaki Byard (p);
Reggie Johnson (b); Billy Hart (d). 6/88.
**** Big Band Charlie Mingus: Live At The Theatre
Boulogne-Billancourt, Volume 2
Soul Note 121193 Asabove. 6/88.
A related project, Big Band Charlie Mingus mercifully stopped
short of all-out 'orchestral' arranging that would have taken the
sting out of much of Mingus's music. As it is, this group is just an
augmented version of the Dynasty groups. There are good things
on Volume l, 'Jump Monk' and 'E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too', but 'The
Shoes Of The Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive-Ass Slippers'
doesn't give the band much to work on and it sounds very uncen-
tred. For some reason, most of the really good stuff is on the sec
ond disc. Faddis and Murray solo pungently on 'My Jelly Roll
Soul', and Murray returns on bass clarinet for the third of the
wind solos on 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat', giving ground to the
superb Byard. 'Boogie Stop Shuffle' is aired again; this time
Murray, obviously relishing the occasion, jumps in after Cliff
Jordan with three rasping, joyous choruses that exactly capture
the spirit of the man they all came to honour.
The Minstrels Of Annie Street
GROUP
A one-off project dedicated to San Francisco revivalist repertory.
*** Original Tuxedo Rag
Stomp Off STCD1272 Bob Schulz (c); Chris Tyle (t);John Gill
(tb, v); Phil Howe (cl, ss); Ray Skjelbred (p); Carl Lunsford (bj);
Bill Carroll (tba); Hal Smith (d). 7/93.
Led by Gill, this is a sextet (Tyle and Smith sit in as guests) dedi
cated to San Francisco repertory, and therefore heavily in debt to
the Lu Watters revivalists. They take the more nimble rhythmic
approach of today, though, which leavens the music and gives an
extra lift to tunes that might otherwise tend towards flat-footed
thunder. Nice touches include Tom T. Hall's country song, 'The
Day Clayton Delaney Died', and a couple of ancient rags. Neat
solos, but the band's the thing.
Phil Minton (bom 1940)
VOICE, TRUMPET
Worked with Mike Westbrook as singer and trumpeter in the '60s
and '70s, but moved increasingly towards entirely free vocal
music, often working with other singers in that context.
1038
***(*) A Doughnut In Both Hands
Emanem 4025 Minton (solo v).
Minton is perhaps the most powerful vocal performer working
in Europe today, and singing has virtually overtaken his trumpet
playing. Associated with Mike Westbrook on a number of text-
based projects, he is also a stunning vocal improviser, with a tonal
and timbral range that seems quite uncanny.
Most of the material on this remarkable record was released in
America years ago as a Rift LP. Its concentration is extreme, both
technically and emotionally. Seemingly inspired by the literature
of the First World War, which (if Paul Fussell is to be believed) is
definitive of many of our twentieth-century attitudes and obses
sions, 'Cenotaph' and 'Wreath' are only three-quarters of a
minute apiece, but overflowing with pain and pride, anger and
redemption. A group of five 'Wood Songs' aren't quite so com
pelling, but a tiny dedication to German revolutionist Emma
Goldman and the stunning 'Notes On Avarice' and 'Blasphemy'
demand frequent recourse to the repeat button. 'Blasphemy' is
one of half a dozen additional tracks not included on the original
album.
*** Songs From A Prison Diary
Leo CDLR 196 Minton; Very an Weston (p). 10/91.
*** Dada Da
Leo CDLR 192 Minton; Roger Turner (d, pere). 1/93.
The duos with Weston seem much more formalized than
Minton's improvised work with Peter Brfttzmann and others on
a deleted FMP album, and they lack the sheer power of the
slightly earlier work with Roger Turner on AMMO, but they are
compelling all the same. The Ho Chi Minh texts on Songs From
A Prison Diary are intensely moving and Minton brings to them
a natural actor's ability to deliver apparently banal lines with a
weight of experience that far exceeds their ostensible meaning.
The duos with Turner are initially rather baffling, but they
repay time and attention, confirming how carefully and intui
tively Minton navigates the rhythm of a piece. These are probably
best heard first as percussion duos. You even get the soundcheck
as a bonus.
***(*) Two Concerts
FMP OWN 90006 Minton; John Butcher (ts, ss); ErhardHirt (g,
elec). 6 8c 8/95.
***(*) Mouthfull Of Ecstasy
Victo CD 041 Minton; John Butcher (ts); Veryan Weston (p);
Roger Turner (pere, v). 1/96.
The FMP record documents a long-standing (we think five or six
years at least) group which has over time achieved an almost
perfect balance and economy of means. Hirt is something of a
miniaturist; he has been described as the Webern of improv
guitar, and there is certainly something in that, splitting up a line
into an array of different sounds, and then drifting in behind
Minton's shredded semantics and Butcher's wonderfully elegant,
almost courtly wooing of the saxophone. The surprising revela
tion about this music is how romantic it seems, how full of
expressive meaning. There's an unevenness of quality between
the two sets represented, one from Vandoeuvre in June, the other
from the Antwerp Free Music Festival later in the summer. The
five numbers from Musique Action are oddly scrappy and