The uphill struggle is real.
The Shadows - The Shadows
British Invasion before it was cool – actually, it was always cool, it’s just that the rest of the world didn’t know it. Instrumental rock, rather simple music for the most part. However, there is some diversity, it’s not the same track played over and over, as we've seen happen multiple times. There are some up-tempo rock tunes mixed with slower, delightful songs, they even add vocals in Baby My Heart or All My Sorrows. There’s also See you in My Drums, which sound-wise is focused on the drums – who would have thought. Of course you can’t deny It’s one of those cases where it would sound so much better if you were there as it happened, you might find it slightly dated. On the other hand, the beauty of innocence in contrast to today's hectic life is exactly what the doctor ordered. 6.5/10.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Another day that was far from fruitful music-wise.
Jacques Brel - N° 5
Here's my problem with this album and this artist in general: I remember a performance I watched as a kid, where someone made a parody of this guy - and I have to admit it was an extremely successful one-, so this memory keeps coming back whenever I listen to him. Instead of getting emotionally involved, this feels like comedy and makes sure I get a good laugh. Embarrassing, I know, but it is what it is. Taking into account that the language barrier doesn't help either, this holds up reasonably well. 6/10.
Track Listing
1. Thrice Upon a Theme
2. Four Hands
3. The Spur Of The Moment / Echonitus
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano
John La Porta - Alto Saxophone
Teo Macero - Tenor Saxophone
Oliver King (aka Thad Jones) - Trumpet
Clem De Rosa - Drums
Jackson Wiley - Cello
It’s always slightly awkward when you have to comment on the album that takes last place, but it’s not too bad. First of all, every Mingus album has something special to offer, so it’s in good company no matter what. Secondly, this isn’t his “worst” effort, nowhere near it, as there were many more albums by the man that I decided not to include in this project. By appearing here, it already belongs to the “crème de la crème” of his discography.
So, it’s too early in his career, but I can already see where this is going – ok, there is the benefit of hindsight, it’s much easier to speak assertively if you know his first masterpiece was just round the corner. In general, there are three main elements that define him and make up most of his works: jazz with a nod to his predecessors (which also contains other parts of the African American musical tradition, i.e. blues/soul/gospel), the heavy influence of classical music, and the Mingus touch. When it comes to this album, I’d say that maybe it’s the third aspect that is lacking just a tiny bit, it’s not fully developed yet. There’s even a review I had read at some point that said this is the only case where the rule that Mingus is composer>band leader>performer doesn’t apply. Not sure I completely agree, but I thought it was a noteworthy observation nonetheless.
One funny thing is how Thrice Upon A Theme used to be my favorite piece here, so I’ve always considered volume two slightly better based on that alone. Well, this time it wasn’t like that. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I listened to them back to back, but the second part felt clearly weaker - I will talk about the first volume further down the road - , so it's only the first album and we already have an underperformer, one aspect of this journey that I’m looking forward to is how those albums will fare in comparison to my previous assessments of theirs - better, worse or equal.
Score: 6.5/10.
Track Listing
1. Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U.S.A.
2. Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue
3. Black Bats And Poles
4. Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love
5. For Harry Carney
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Don Pullen - Piano
Tenor Saxophone - George Adams
Jack Walrath, Marcus Belgrave - Trumpet
Jackie Paris - Vocals
Ilhan Mimaroglu - Producer
(This is a statement I will in all likelihood keep repeating, but I honestly can’t help it.) Look at those titles, you can already tell this is the work of a genius without even listening to it. Another instance of a two-parts effort which confirms the established principle that the sequel is always inferior. Well, if we are being totally honest, the two parts are considered almost equal, the second being slightly better if anything. That being said, I’ve never managed to connect with it in the same way, the spark is gone – or maybe it’s there, but it’s not the same anymore, it’s not as effortless, somewhat unnatural if you will. And yes, I know that Changes One hasn’t appeared yet, but I have to mention it, the comparison is inevitable. Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue is the central piece of the album, it has been compared to Tijuana Moods, which may be a stretch, but in terms of atmosphere/feel it’s not that far off. To keep drawing parallels between this and the first part, I’d say that the one track that has vocals added here - Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love - is worse than its counterpart on Changes One. Another deciding factor is that this sounds more like typical Mingus -if there's anything typical about him, but you get the point- , so that could explain why I like the other part more in the sense that this is more of the same, he has already had similar stuff executed at a higher level, while Change One does try something slightly different, so it doesn’t pale in comparison to his earlier work -ok, it does, but it's not as striking. It may not be his finest moment, but don’t get fooled. Even when he is far from his best, he reaches highs that are untouchable by most other artists.
Score: 6.7/10.
Track Listing
1. Folk Forms No. 1
2. Original Faubus Fables
3. What Love?
4. All The Things You Could Be By Now If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother
So far so good, this one’s the first slightly controversial pick, as most people tend to rank it significantly higher, probably very close to the top-10, if not right there. Mingus was a monumentally talented composer/musician, so it’s only natural he could deliver no matter the lineup as he proved multiple times throughout his career. Here It was time to try a quartet. Dolphy and Mingus everyone knows is a killer combo, so that should be enough to like this album, but it’s always been an underwhelming listening experience, at least compared to either's usual ridiculously high standards. I can’t blame any of the two or the interplay between them, they give it all they’ve got, they hold nothing back. Maybe it’s the lack of piano? Maybe the compositions themselves? I can’t tell. Of course this doesn’t equate to a complete absence of moments of greatness, no Mingus albums suffers from that. Original Faubus Fables is obviously Fables of Faubus that was featured in Mingus Ah Um, only this time around it has lyrics added to it. It’s story is well known, this way it becomes even more harshly critical of the Arkansas Governor, Orval E. Faubus. Another thing I like about it is that the intensity and the accusative mood don’t signify the loss of the band's focus at any point, his anger is presented in a majestic manner. By the way, this is supposed to be the version Mingus himself preferred, but it’s easier to make a political statement of this magnitude via Candid than it is via Columbia 😉 . The closing track steals the show, if not for music-related reasons, at least for the title – I won’t bother to copy it here, it takes way too much space, lol. Overall, I’d say it’s one of his most Mingus-ish records, which means that if you are a hardcore fan, you might rank this very high, while if your attitude towards him is more lukewarm, you might feel there are parts which are somewhat dull, as all the tracks here are rather long. It’s albums like this I have in mind when I’m saying that Mingus is a Rockstar above anything else, he does his thing and he doesn't give a damn, simple as that.
Score: 6.75/10.
Track Listing
1. Jump Monk
2. Serenade In Blue
3. Percussion Discussion
4. Work Song
5. Septemberly
6. All The Things You C#
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass
Max Roach, Willie Jones - Drums
Mal Waldron - Piano
George Barrow - Saxophone (tenor)
Eddie Bert - Trombone
Generally speaking, I have the impression that Mingus suffers from the same issue I had mentioned regarding Monk a while back, namely it’s hard to appreciate his live albums, owing to the fact that even his studio recordings have a live vibe due to their spontaneous and highly unpredictable nature. Actually, that’s one of the reasons I decided to focus on studio albums, this is the only live album that will make an appearance on this list, because it is a significant one, both as a standalone release and even more in the grand scheme of things concerning Mingus' course. It was recorded in 1955, so it is the first account of a work by Mingus that is comprised mostly of his own compositions, it is rightfully perceived as one of the first and most decisive steps towards greatness. Speaking of Monk, the very first track is a tribute to the man, trying to capture his idiosyncrasy in less than 7 minutes. Yeah, good luck with that. Another aspect of the album that can't be ignored is Max Roach featuring as a guest. It is only one track, but he makes his presence felt, as you can imagine based on the title (Percussion Discussion). It is viewed as one of the highlights here, but I’ve already made it clear during previous posts that percussion oriented jazz is not for me - at least when we're talking about standard jazz, when it comes with an exotic touch it's a whole new ball game - and this ranks as one of my least favourite attempts by Mingus ever. Work Song is a nice one, the idea was to go for a sound that would recreate the struggles of African American people in the USA. However, All The Things You C# is easily the best thing here, I'd go as far as to say it's a top-5 Mingus piece and that's no exaggeration, a dose of Rachmaninoff never hurt anyone. It expectedly focuses on the piano and Waldron proves he has what it takes to be the star, but every member of the band contributes its fair share to this wonderful mix of classical and jazz.
Score: 6.8/10.
Track Listing
1. Minor Intrusion
2. What Is This Thing Called Love?
3. Stormy Weather
4. Abstractions
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano
John La Porta - Alto Saxophone
Teo Macero - Tenor Saxophone
Oliver King (aka Thad Jones) - Trumpet
Clem De Rosa - Drums
Jackson Wiley - Cello
This has already been brought up while discussing the second volume, what I said there applies here for the most part as well, so there isn’t that much to add. I found it surprising that this held up, while the other one dropped off, I didn't -and still don't- think there is that big of a difference between them. One noteworthy aspect of this is that it may not have any explosive or breathtaking highlights – actually, I’d say the four tracks here are almost equal, nothing stands out in either a positive or negative way- , but it has consistency going for it. It’s rock solid all the way through, it succeeds in building a particular - highly emotional in a grand yet relatable way – atmosphere. Despite being early Mingus, there’s nothing here that sounds dated, his tendency to go for an innovative approach makes even the most classic or traditional work look and sound extremely fresh. Of course, the historical context is not to be underestimated, you get the chance to witness Mingus before becoming, well, Mingus, so there’s that as well. Furthermore, it has been argued that its no-nonsense attitude makes it more accessible than most later records by Mingus. The truth is all of his albums have been so very accessible for me - the only jazz musician/composer for whom I can make such a claim- , I never had any similar problem whatsoever, so I 'm not qualified to comment on that, maybe someone who isn't that much into Mingus could offer a more accurate insight. On a final note, I have to add how lucky he is to have such a great band around him even in his early years, eveything is running like clockwork - but then again, that may be a testament of his skills as a bandleader, it's the two sides of the same coin.
Score: 6.9/10.
Track Listing
1. Remember Rockefeller at Attica
2. Sue's Changes
3. Devil Blues
4. Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Don Pullen - Piano
George Adams - Saxophone (tenor)
Jack Walrath - Trumpet
Nesuhi Ertegun - Executive Producer
Ilhan Mimaroglu - Producer
Gene Paul - Recording Engineer
It keeps today’s pattern going, namely presenting the second part of albums that have already made an appearance, though you could argue that in this case the two albums come with a higher degree of autonomy. Widely viewed as the epilogue, one last moment of greatness before it’s curtains, any remaining ounce of creativity was used here. It’s almost they know it’s the swan song, as every member of the band is roaming free, doing their thing like there’s no tomorrow -ok, admittedly it’s not as wild as some of his late 50’s and early 60’s stuff, but it’s as close as it gets, approach it with an open mind and without too many expectations or getting to unfair comparisons and it should be fine. This first part consists exclusively of original compositions, which could be another reason I find it preferable to Changes Two. On the other hand, one argument that has been used in favour of Changes Two is that it has a more album-like feel, while Changes One is based on standalone pieces, but when they are of such quality individually, I guess it doesn’t matter that much, there’s only four of them, but all are special. The opening track, Remember Rockefeller at Attica, has a political background, it is– as it is well known- inspired by the riot that took place at Attica prisons in 1971 and at the same time hits out at New York governor, Nelson Rockefeller. because of his handling of the aforementioned situation. Although Sue’s Changes -named after his wife- might seem intimidating at first due to its running time, it makes the album what it is. I mean, it would take something really special to last 17 minutes and keep the listener’s attention throughout. It comes desperately close to achieving this feat, it’s like an album inside the album, there’s so much going on it keeps you on your toes as it constantly evolves. By the way, Don Pullen offers us what’s in all likelihood the most impressive performance of the album. I’m not talking only about his super famous part in Sue's Changes where he momentarily transforms into a madman, it seems he always delivers what is appropriate before the listener understands which direction he is heading to. Regarding Devil Blues, George Adams’ rough vocals are exactly how you’d except a singer to perform in a Mingus composition, plain bonkers. Vocals don’t appear that often on his records but when they do, they really leave their mark, they take no prisoners. Duke Ellington’s Sound Of Love is -unsurprisingly- a filled with emotion, touching tribute to the master, written soon after his death and adds a different dimension, you are left with a sweet, almost euphoric taste.
Track Listing
1. Take the “A” Train
2. Prayer for Passive Resistance
3. Eclipse
4. Mingus Fingus No.2
5. Weird Nightmare
6. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
7. Bemoanable Lady
8. Half-Mast Inhibition
Credits
(listed in alphabetical order)
Danny Bank - Saxophone (Baritone)
Bill Barron - Saxophone (Tenor)
Marcus Belgrave - Trumpet
Eddie Bert - Trombone
Paul Bley - Piano
Don Butterfield - Tuba
Ted Curson - Trumpet
Lorraine Cusson - Vocals
Robert DiDomenica - Flute
Eric Dolphy - Clarinet (Bass), Flute, Saxophone (Alto)
Hobart Dotson - Trumpet
Booker Ervin - Saxophone (Tenor)
Sticks Evans - Drums
Joe Farrell - Saxophone (Tenor)
Charles "Majeed" Greenlee - Trombone
Slide Hampton - Trombone
Roland Hanna - Piano
Jimmy Knepper - Trombone
John LaPorta - Saxophone (Alto)
Yusef Lateef - Flute, Saxophone (Tenor)
Charles McCracken - Cello
Charles Mingus - Bass
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Max Roach - Percussion
Harry Schulman - Oboe
George Scott - Drums
Clark Terry - Trumpet
Richard Gene Williams - Trumpet
When you get your hands on this album and before you get on (this attempt at an internal rhyme sounded cool initially, but now that I see it written, it’s not half as good as I thought, whatever) with listening to it, there’s one thing that you may find puzzling: The vast majority of its tracks have a running time between 3 and 4 minutes, not something you’d expect to work taking into account who we're talking about, you might start wondering if that’s a "music for the masses" - dare I say radio friendly - version of Mingus? Nah, not even close, quite the opposite actually, eccentricity is one thing you can always count on Mingus to bring to the table. The central idea of this album is that he travels – as the title suggests- back in time in the pre-bird (aka Charlie Parker) era both via some classic pieces as well as his own compositions. If you believed he is ahead of his time, this will add a new twist and make you think about it again, he is so far ahead to the point it’s not even funny anymore. This concept could have easily failed or ended up being extremely dull in someone else’s hands, but Mingus has a funny – for lack of a better word - perception of past music. Weird Nightmare might be the weirdest of them all, though I’d say Half-Mast Inhibition is the highlight – which is by some distance the longest track here, this can’t be a coincidence – talk about a lofty, ambitious, yet undeniably gorgeous artistic statement. Another thing that can’t be ignored is the presence of titanic names such as Eric Dolphy and Yusef Lateef. As I was saying the other day, Mingus can deliver under any given circumstances, but I’ve always been of the opinion that a big band allows his ideas to come to fruition in the most excitingly spectacular way and this album -among others - makes for a triumphant proof.
Track Listing
1. Money Jungle
2. Le fleurs africaines (African Flower)
3. Very Special
4. Warm Valley
5. Wig Wise
6. Caravan
7. Solitude
Credits
Duke Ellington – piano
Charles Mingus – bass
Max Roach – drums
What can one say about this album. It features, like, the best lineup of all time? It has a strong case, that’s for sure. Duke Ellington on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, Max Roach on drums, what else could one ask for? I not so subtly hinted at this record a couple of weeks ago while commenting on Piano In The Foreground when I said Ellington has a better trio album, if you want to check how he fares in such an environment. Mingus/Ellington relationship is the stuff of legend. Ellington had been the biggest influence on Mingus – Charlie Parker the only one being in the same league, as we got to witness in the previous album. Even though Ellington was his childhood hero, it’s fair to say their relationship had its ups and downs. Mingus had the chance to play alongside Ellington in 1953. This promising collaboration came to an abrupt end when Ellington was more or less forced to fire – something that was totally out of character for him, he wasn’t a fan of taking such extreme measures - Mingus after he was involved in an “incident” with Juan Tizol. When it comes to this album, it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to claim that the complex nature of their relationship reflects on the music, as tension transforms into passion, each one adds a part of his personality, yet again mixing them together creates a new sound, that doesn’t remind us of their “regular” stuff. Its quality is undeniable, but a trio is by no means enough for these guys – I mean, they give the impression of being more than three, that’s how big their sound is, imagine if there were actually more musicians present, it would have been marvellous. My favourite track here is easily Le fleurs africaines (African Flower) a wonderful if somewhat outlandish -which of course is part of the charm- ballad.
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RoundTheBend
