Charles Mingus: Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Vital Vinyl series) [IMPULSE]

Why you'll love it

This Vital Vinyl series reissue comes with a printed inner sleeve. Mingus recut some of his most famous tunes for a big ensemble here, including "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" and "Theme For Lester Young."

This edition

• Vital Vinyl series
• Printed inner sleeve
• Stereo mix

About the album

Most composers settle for putting their name on a record once. Charles Mingus did it five times, and fresh from The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady he had the ensemble to back it up. Bob Thiele produced two New York sessions, on January 20 and September 20, 1963, and Bob Hammer scored the music for a full spread of brass and saxophones.

The September band is stacked: Eric Dolphy on alto, flute and bass clarinet, Booker Ervin on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, Britt Woodman on trombone, Don Butterfield on tuba and Walter Perkins on drums, with Mingus's bass steering the lot. The January date brings Charlie Mariano, Jay Berliner's guitar and Dannie Richmond. "II B.S." is a roaring new version of Haitian Fight Song, "Theme For Lester Young" revisits Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, "Hora Decubitus" grew out of E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too, and "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" gives the Mingus Ah Um opener a fresh gospel shout. "Celia" comes from East Coasting, and Ellington's "Mood Indigo" becomes a showcase for Mingus's own bass.

Hearing these tunes with a bigger band shows just how much room Mingus wrote into them. Think of it as Mingus covering Mingus, which is a very efficient way of avoiding arguments with the songwriter.

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

Tracklist

Listen

On Impulse!, a reissue of the 1964 album.