Track Listing
1. II B.S.
2. I X Love
3. Celia
4. Mood Indigo
5. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul
6. Theme for Lester Young
7. Hora Decubitus
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Walter Perkins - Drums
Dick Hafer - Saxophone (tenor), Clarinet, Flute
Jerome Richardson - Flute, Saxophone (baritone, soprano)
Eric Dolphy - Saxophone (alto), Flute
Jay Berliner - Guitar (acoustic)
Jaki Byard - Piano
Charlie Mariano - Saxophone (alto)
Booker Ervin - Saxophone (tenor)
Quentin Jackson - Trombone
Britt Woodman - Trombone
Rolf Ericson - Trumpet
Richard Williams - Trumpet
Eddie Preston - Trumpet
Don Butterfield - Tuba
Bob Thiele - Producer
Not sure if the title made it clear enough, but this is an album by Charles Mingus (keyword: Mingus). Joking aside, there is a symbolism to be found behind it, here Mingus revisits Mingus, so it kinda makes sense – ok, it doesn’t, but let’s pretend it does, at least in his own unique universe where amazing happens. As the story has it, Mingus benefitted from the creative freedom he had been enjoying in Impulse! and decided to work on a series of older pieces. There is only one new composition to be found in this record, namely Celia, which happens to be the arguably weakest track here. Also, the idea of changing the titles is super cool, it further emphasizes his attitude: it’s not going to be just a workmanlike copy, but an actual sea change, his approach is innovative yet shows proper respect to the original material. So, II B.S. is Haitian Fight Song, Better Get Hit In Yo’ Soul is - obviously - Better Git It In Your Soul, Theme For Lester Young is Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, Hora Decubitus is E's Flat Ah's Flat Too. Moon Indigo is of course Duke Ellington ’s classic and needs no other introduction. I guess the conclusion is that if there’s one man that can top Mingus, or at the very least give him a run for his money, it’s Mingus having a second chance to work on his material. Hora Decubitus is my favourite piece here, which is even more impressive when one takes into account that I wasn’t really thrilled by its counterpart, this one on the other hand is irresistible, it swings like there’s no tomorrow. Having the benefit of hindsight and considering what came afterwards, this album has a special place in his discography, his golden run was about to come to an end and this was only a fitting goodbye, as it had some of his brightest moments flashing before our eyes.
Track Listing
1. The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers
2. Adagio ma non troppo
3. Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too
4. Hobo Ho
5. The Chill of Death
6. The I of Hurricane Sue
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano, Vocals
Ron Carter - Bass
Richard Davis - Bass
Milt Hinton - Bass
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Phil Kraus - Percussion
Charles McCracken - Cello
Julius Watkins - French Horn
Brooks Tillotson - French Horn
Jaki Byard - Piano
Roland Hanna - Piano
Patricia H. Bown - Piano
James Moody - Saxophone (Tenor)
Bobby Jones - Saxophone (Tenor)
Charles McPherson - Saxophone (Alto)
Hal McKusick - Saxophone (Alto, Baritone, Tenor)
Danny Bank - Saxophone (Baritone)
Jimmy Knepper - Trombone
Eddie Bert - Trombone
Jimmy Nottingham - Trumpet
Joe Wilder - Trumpet
Snooky Young - Trumpet
Lonnie Hillyer - Trumpet
Marvin Stamm - Trumpet
George Marge - Flute, Reeds
Hubert Laws - Flute
Jack Jennings - Tuba
Howard Johnson - Tuba
Bucky Pizzarelli - Guitar
Teo Macero - Producer, Saxophone (Alto)
Speaking of goodbyes, here we go again and this time around it’s for real. Almost a decade had passed since his biggest moments, I can easily imagine an atmosphere of nervous apprehension having shrouded his fans and then comes this, as triumphant as a comeback can get. The use of a rainbow in the album cover can’t be a coincidence, the storm and the darkness is over, he's back in business. He proves beyond any reasonable doubt that he still has it, his vast pool of original ideas never cease to impress and inspire the listener. A mix of classical and jazz – that defined pretty much every following attempt in that field, listening to this it gives you the impression that these two genres were made for each other, a match made in heaven- , it grips you firmly from the very first moment and it never lets go. It radiates vibes that are reminiscent of end of the world epicness – Mingus with a big band at his disposal is always a joy to behold- and at the same time very sad, you realise how small and helpless you are as you see the end coming and it’s crushing you. He called it his most important creation – not the exact quote, but it was something along those lines- which is to be taken with a grain of salt, as he liked making similar remarks for most of his work. And again those titles, man, who else could have come up with something like this? The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers ? Is he for real ? By the way, that happens to be the highlight of the album as well. In less than 10 minutes it takes you to a wilder and more fascinating ride than most 45-minutes or even longer albums could only dream of. But then again, every single piece here is a strong candidate for getting the nod as the standout track. Adagio ma non troppo is a brilliant showcase of the classical music touch I previously mentioned. Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too has this circus-like vibe, that in a way reminds one of an album I haven't talked about yet, so more on that later - though the obvious difference is that it's dressed in a classical music article of clothing this time, fitting with the overall theme of the album, which wasn't the case in his previous similar attempt. The Chill Of Death is, well, chilling in the most wickedly twisted way one could think of, the spoken words part combines impeccably with the dramatic music to create an indescribable experience. Ok, the more I think about it, the more I get the impression I might have underrated it, so I'll come to a full stop here before I change my mind and rank it higher.
Track Listing
1. Better Git It In Your Soul
2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
4. Self-Portrait In Three Colors
5. Open Letter To Duke
6. Bird Calls
7. Fables Of Faubus
8. Pussy Cat Dues
9. Jelly Roll
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano
Dannie Richmond - Drums
John Handy - Clarinet, Saxophone (alto)
Booker Ervin - Saxophone (tenor)
Shafi Hadi - Saxophone (tenor)
Horace Parlan - Piano
Jimmy Knepper - Trombone
Willie Dennis - Trombone
Teo Macero - Producer
There’s been the occasional surprise throughout this countdown, but for the most part the list has been rather straightforward so far, with the possible exception of Blues And Roots, so it’s about time to drop a real bombshell. There’s pretty much a consensus regarding his magnum opus, that’s The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. However, if there’s one album that can make a serious claim against it and fight for the first spot on almost equal terms, it has to be this one, it always finds its way near the very top no matter if the related list is being constructed by fans or critics. 1959 is – as I’ve already mentioned in this diary and I’m sure you’ve heard it elsewhere as well - a landmark year for jazz. There was – among many other noteworthy attempts - Kind of Blue, The shape Of Jazz To Come, Time Out, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers (the album) and of course this one right here. I had already known Mingus for quite some time and had established a firm opinion on his work when I got my hands to this record, but it managed to surprise – shock me to be precise – anyway, it instantly improved my perception of him at least a couple of notches. One element that immediately stood out is how cinematic this is, he really has the ability to paint vivid pictures that are dancing – and what a dance that is, sophisticated, graceful yet flamboyant and noisy- in front you. I thought only classical music – which of course is a major influence here, as is the case with most of his work - could be so powerful in that regard. At the same time, it’s catchy enough to be accessible for a reasonably wide audience without compromising its artistic identity - I respectfully disagree with reviews that call it conventional, I believe that's a stretch. Another cool yet touching aspect of this record is how many of those tracks are tributes , eg. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat is for Lester Young, Jelly Roll is for Jelly Roll Morton and Open Letter to Duke is obviously for Duke Ellington, Bird Calls is probably for Charlie Parker, but - unless I'm mistaken - Mingus himself has said it isn’t, so there's’ that as well. One more defining feature of this album are the contrasts it forms, the cheerfully frantic Better Git It In Your Soul goes all out, then it is directly followed by the slow burning Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. Boogie Stop Shuffle is boogie indeed, it is so playful, cartoonish even with a touch of film noir, at once it reminded me of Irving Joseph - Murder, Inc., an album I posted here two or three weeks ago. What to say about Self-Portrait In Three Colors, it has to be one of the greatest ballads of all time, easily the highlight of the album for me. If there’s one complaint to be made, it’s that it maybe be just a tiny bit front loaded and the second half struggles to keep up the pace, but I can easily look the other way and ignore this minor misstep. The summary is that he raised the bar higher than he had up to this point. And yeah, almost forgot about it, what an album cover, it further emphasises that this is a three-dimensional record, that’s art in every sense of the word.
Track Listing
1. Solo Dancer
2. Duet Solo Dancers
3. Group Dancers
4. Trio And Group Dancers
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Jerome Richardson - Flute, Saxophone (Soprano, Baritone)
Dick Hafer - Flute, Saxophone (Tenor)
Charlie Mariano - Saxophone (Alto)
Jay Berliner - Guitar (Acoustic)
Jaki Byard - Piano
Quentin Jackson - Trombone
Rolf Ericson - Trumpet
Richard Williams - Trumpet
Don Butterfield - Tuba
Bob Thiele - Producer
Speaking of bombs, it can’t get louder than this one. Oh, wait a second, to make matters even worse, I’ll shamelessly admit that it actually overperformed, I expected it to finish below Mingus Ah Um. It was the first album by Mingus I ever listened. At that time it made a serious impression, it was miles (pun intended) ahead of Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme, which were my first attempts at getting into jazz of that era and both of them had been major let downs to put it mildly. Then I started digging deeper into his catalogue and this was quickly surpassed. Now, it seems it has come full circle and it finds itself near the very top again. Maybe the more music we listen the more we can appreciate the classics? I don’t know, there's a reason they've attained this status. So, according to BEA, it’s the 107th album of all time. According to RYM, it’s the 13th best album of all time. Piero Scaruffi has called it the best jazz album of all time. After all the numerous accolades it has received up to this point, is there anything substantial to add about this album that hasn’t already been repeated to death? Hard to tell. Ballet oriented music has been quite my thing when it comes to classical music, but to make it work in a jazz environment makes for an impressive feat. I would say there are two main characteristics that elevate this record to such an absurdly high level of greatness-ok, there are many more, but those are the biggest ones for me. On the one hand, it perfectly captures the human experience, as it covers a wide area of emotions, for example anger, serenity, anxiety, love and everything in between. On the other hand, it’s too good to have been made by mere human beings, its class and elegance are unparalleled, that’s a work of a Supreme Being. In other words, it possesses all the necessary tools to achieve its aforementioned goal in a very colourful and descriptive yet flawless from a technical point of view manner, it strikes a happy medium. Yeah, I guess the point is any words I use can’t do it justice, I’m simply trying in vain. To sum it up, it’s by far the most essential album on this list. Scratch that, it’s the most essential out of all the albums that have appeared so far on this diary and it’s not even close. Sit back, relax, press play and enjoy. A masterpiece.
And then there were four ... So far, it's been more or less plain sailing, my choices have been clear cut, but the closer you get to the top, the tougher it gets. (As the saying goes, "the hardest part of faith is the last half hour", which is actually used in an enitrely different context, but I felt like quoting some words of wisdom and couldn't come up with anything more fitting, whatever.)
Every time I think I have it all figured out, I just keep changing my mind. In case you haven't been following so far, the remaining candidates are in chronological order:
Pithecanthropus Erectus
The Clown
Oh Yeah
Tijuana Moods
Each of them has something going for it that the others don't. The one thing I can say for sure is that all of them have a realistic shot at first place as we speak. Anyway, the plan is to give one final listen and stop it right there, before I get lost in the rabbit hole.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Track Listing
1. The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers
2. Adagio ma non troppo
3. Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too
4. Hobo Ho
5. The Chill of Death
6. The I of Hurricane Sue
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano, Vocals
Ron Carter - Bass
Richard Davis - Bass
Milt Hinton - Bass
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Phil Kraus - Percussion
Charles McCracken - Cello
Julius Watkins - French Horn
Brooks Tillotson - French Horn
Jaki Byard - Piano
Roland Hanna - Piano
Patricia H. Bown - Piano
James Moody - Saxophone (Tenor)
Bobby Jones - Saxophone (Tenor)
Charles McPherson - Saxophone (Alto)
Hal McKusick - Saxophone (Alto, Baritone, Tenor)
Danny Bank - Saxophone (Baritone)
Jimmy Knepper - Trombone
Eddie Bert - Trombone
Jimmy Nottingham - Trumpet
Joe Wilder - Trumpet
Snooky Young - Trumpet
Lonnie Hillyer - Trumpet
Marvin Stamm - Trumpet
George Marge - Flute, Reeds
Hubert Laws - Flute
Jack Jennings - Tuba
Howard Johnson - Tuba
Bucky Pizzarelli - Guitar
Teo Macero - Producer, Saxophone (Alto)
Speaking of goodbyes, here we go again and this time around it’s for real. Almost a decade had passed since his biggest moments, I can easily imagine an atmosphere of nervous apprehension having shrouded his fans and then comes this, as triumphant as a comeback can get. The use of a rainbow in the album cover can’t be a coincidence, the storm and the darkness is over, he's back in business. He proves beyond any reasonable doubt that he still has it, his vast pool of original ideas never cease to impress and inspire the listener. A mix of classical and jazz – that defined pretty much every following attempt in that field, listening to this it gives you the impression that these two genres were made for each other, a match made in heaven- , it grips you firmly from the very first moment and it never lets go. It radiates vibes that are reminiscent of end of the world epicness – Mingus with a big band at his disposal is always a joy to behold- and at the same time very sad, you realise how small and helpless you are as you see the end coming and it’s crushing you. He called it his most important creation – not the exact quote, but it was something along those lines- which is to be taken with a grain of salt, as he liked making similar remarks for most of his work. And again those titles, man, who else could have come up with something like this? The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers ? Is he for real ? By the way, that happens to be the highlight of the album as well. In less than 10 minutes it takes you to a wilder and more fascinating ride than most 45-minutes or even longer albums could only dream of. But then again, every single piece here is a strong candidate for getting the nod as the standout track. Adagio ma non troppo is a brilliant showcase of the classical music touch I previously mentioned. Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too has this circus-like vibe, that in a way reminds one of an album I haven't talked about yet, so more on that later - though the obvious difference is that it's dressed in a classical music article of clothing this time, fitting with the overall theme of the album, which wasn't the case in his previous similar attempt. The Chill Of Death is, well, chilling in the most wickedly twisted way one could think of, the spoken words part combines impeccably with the dramatic music to create an indescribable experience. Ok, the more I think about it, the more I get the impression I might have underrated it, so I'll come to a full stop here before I change my mind and rank it higher.
Score: 7.9/10
Yes indeed, the golden run was well in the rearview mirror at this point, but this is as great/special as anthing he'd done.
You shouldn't have come to full stop... a change of mind and higher ranking was still in order!
FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
Track Listing
1. Solo Dancer
2. Duet Solo Dancers
3. Group Dancers
4. Trio And Group Dancers
Credits
Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Jerome Richardson - Flute, Saxophone (Soprano, Baritone)
Dick Hafer - Flute, Saxophone (Tenor)
Charlie Mariano - Saxophone (Alto)
Jay Berliner - Guitar (Acoustic)
Jaki Byard - Piano
Quentin Jackson - Trombone
Rolf Ericson - Trumpet
Richard Williams - Trumpet
Don Butterfield - Tuba
Bob Thiele - Producer
Speaking of bombs, it can’t get louder than this one. Oh, wait a second, to make matters even worse, I’ll shamelessly admit that it actually overperformed, I expected it to finish below Mingus Ah Um. It was the first album by Mingus I ever listened. At that time it made a serious impression, it was miles (pun intended) ahead of Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme, which were my first attempts at getting into jazz of that era and both of them had been major let downs to put it mildly. Then I started digging deeper into his catalogue and this was quickly surpassed. Now, it seems it has come full circle and it finds itself near the very top again. Maybe the more music we listen the more we can appreciate the classics? I don’t know, there's a reason they've attained this status. So, according to BEA, it’s the 107th album of all time. According to RYM, it’s the 13th best album of all time. Piero Scaruffi has called it the best jazz album of all time. After all the numerous accolades it has received up to this point, is there anything substantial to add about this album that hasn’t already been repeated to death? Hard to tell. Ballet oriented music has been quite my thing when it comes to classical music, but to make it work in a jazz environment makes for an impressive feat. I would say there are two main characteristics that elevate this record to such an absurdly high level of greatness-ok, there are many more, but those are the biggest ones for me. On the one hand, it perfectly captures the human experience, as it covers a wide area of emotions, for example anger, serenity, anxiety, love and everything in between. On the other hand, it’s too good to have been made by mere human beings, its class and elegance are unparalleled, that’s a work of a Supreme Being. In other words, it possesses all the necessary tools to achieve its aforementioned goal in a very colourful and descriptive yet flawless from a technical point of view manner, it strikes a happy medium. Yeah, I guess the point is any words I use can’t do it justice, I’m simply trying in vain. To sum it up, it’s by far the most essential album on this list. Scratch that, it’s the most essential out of all the albums that have appeared so far on this diary and it’s not even close. Sit back, relax, press play and enjoy. A masterpiece.
Score: 8/10
With that kind of exalted praise, I'm not sure how there's still four higher! Interested to see what superlatives remain to lift another handful above "the work of a supreme being."
Very Cool - never seen anyone countdown Mingus, so regardless of choices, high five!
Fischman wrote:
Yes indeed, the golden run was well in the rearview mirror at this point, but this is as great/special as anthing he'd done.
You shouldn't have come to full stop... a change of mind and higher ranking was still in order!
Cool to see it getting some love, it's definitely top-tier Mingus.
And yeah, I have the tendency to get fully invested in any album of his while I 'm listening to it and by the time it's over I've convinced myself it's his best, so I try not to get carried away and keep some self-control. 🫢
That being said, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Let My Children Hear Music growing on me even more.
Fischman wrote:
With that kind of exalted praise, I'm not sure how there's still four higher! Interested to see what superlatives remain to lift another handful above "the work of a supreme being."
You are right, that remark will be hard to top. It was meant to showcase how gracefully orchestrated it is, it's like it was sent straight from above, never touched by a human hand. However, this can work against it in the sense that humans like things done by humans, so when something is too perfect, it can be harder to relate. The four albums that ended up above it provide an earthlier form of pleasure.
A simpler explanation would be that I overdid it with my enthusiastic plaudits in order to compensate for giving it the fifth spot when the vast majority of fans and critics rank it at #1, so there's that as well.
Track Listing
1. Hog Callin' Blues
2. Devil Woman
3. Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am
4. Ecclusiastics
5. Oh Lord Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me
6. Eat That Chicken
7. Passions Of A Man
Credits
Charles Mingus - Vocals, Piano
Dannie Richmond - Drums
Doug Watkins - Bass
Roland Kirk - Flute, Manzello, Siren, Strich, Saxophone (tenor)
Booker Ervin - Saxophone (tenor)
Jimmy Knepper - Trombone
Nesuhi Ertegun - Producer
It should have become clear by now that Mingus has a tendency to hit the nail on the head with those titles and this one’s no exception, that’s the perfect title, Oh yeah! The same applies to the album cover as well, he is in a league of his own. Moving on to the real deal, Mingus gives up the bass – Doug Watkins is in charge instead- and takes up piano and vocals – oh yeah, those vocals! Well, they are not exactly that, but how can you describe them – that’s a running theme throughout this album, lots of things are going on that are almost impossible to express through words-, probably an unprecedented hybrid between shouting/squealing/howling/whatever. At some point he was asked how come he decided to add “singing” to his repertoire, he said something along the lines of I always do, it’s just that this time around the mics were left open, lol. Blues - in the rough/gritty way that I usually don’t like, but Mingus has the hands of Midas, everything he touches becomes gold - with a healthy dose of soul/gospel and tons of humour are the three main elements that make this album what it is. The opening track is madness personified, Mingus is in the zone and there’s no way you can stop him. It’s easy to tell artists like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart were taking notes. Wham Bam is a piece that wouldn’t be out of place in Pithecanthropus Erectus, it expands on some ideas that were present there, the only difference being you could say it’s on steroids this time. Eat That Chicken is another refreshingly crazy ride, and again, what can one say about this stuff, words can’t do it justice, or at least I'm not good enough with them to carry off such a task. Passions of a Man makes for another spectacular and groundbreaking show, it is rightfully considered one of the very first moments of psychedelic music put on record. Above all, if there's one thing that makes this album stand out, it’s definitely the mood, everyone‘s having so much fun to the point it is instantly infectious, you ‘ll join the party without a second thought and soon enough you will not remember how or why you got there, but you won’t care that much about it anyway – and to return to the point I made at the start of this comment, you ‘ll be screaming Oh Yeah!.
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RoundTheBend
Fischman
