Charles Mingus: Blues & Roots (Rhino Reserve series, Start Your Ear Off Right 2026) [RHINO]

Why you'll love it

This Rhino Reserve LP was cut from the original analog mono master tapes by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab and pressed on 180g vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing in California. The music is Mingus at his most joyful, a big, shouting band digging into gospel and blues on "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" and "Moanin'."

This edition

• Rhino Reserve series
• 180g vinyl
• Mono
• Cut from the original analog master tapes
• Pressed in California

About the album

Charles Mingus had a reputation for complicated music, so Atlantic's Nesuhi Ertegun asked him for something plainer: a whole album of blues. Mingus took the request, went straight back to the church services and barrelhouse blues he grew up with, and in February 1959 cut one of the most exuberant records in jazz.

"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" sounds like a revival meeting with horns, all hand claps and shouts. "Moanin'" rides Pepper Adams's growling baritone sax riff while the band piles on top, "Cryin' Blues" slows things to a moan, and "My Jelly Roll Soul" tips its hat to Jelly Roll Morton. Jackie McLean, John Handy, Booker Ervin, Jimmy Knepper and drummer Dannie Richmond make it feel loose and electric, as if it might lift off at any second.

Side B adds "Tensions" and "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too," and Mingus wrote every tune on the record. Ertegun wanted the blues; he got them with interest.

Also at Kops: more Charles Mingus on vinyl · browse Classic Jazz

Tracklist

Listen

On Atlantic / Rhino (cat# RES1 1305), a reissue of the 1960 album.