Charles Mingus

wooooooo hyperbole

And the music, recorded across the world's concert stages, dashes once and for all every previously-held notion about what is, and isn't, jazz.

this sounds good, though, i guess, maybe one day i will be able to find a copy i can afford

Curious how they picked the material for this; it would seem to make more sense to do a Complete 1964 European Tour box, but wow, had no idea there was unreleased Town Hall stuff!

here's some info
Three of the tunes from the April 4, 1964 performance at Town Hall in New York have never been available before. The lineup of Dolphy, Jordan, Coles, Byard, and Richmond also performed in Amsterdam on April 10. The Monterey show in September features Hillyer, McPherson, Byard, and Richmond , expanded by six pieces for "Meditations" including John Handy Red Callendar, Buddy Collete and Jack Nimitz. In May of 1965, in Minneapolis, he was back to the five-piece Monterey lineup. That last date includes a great rarity, never before on record - "Copa City Titty (aka O.P.)," recorded only once before on an obscure Japanese big band record.

i do kinda wish that this was cheaper -- not mosaic's thing, i know. but it was awesome that the recent miles 67 set was so budget-priced.

http://mingusmingusmingus.com/Mingus/blindfold.html

love the idea of those blindfold tests

That long Ornette quote is amazing. Thanks for the link!

i swear every liner note i ever read of his, he says 'pedal point' in

he's a bass player. He can't help it.

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/21/163255582/first-listen-charles-mingus-the-jazz-workshop-concerts-1964-65?sc=tw&cc=share

thanks!

90 seconds in and this is already making my Monday better.

yeah, sounds great.

wonderful. Copa City Titty is great. I could listen to Jaki Byard all day.

yeah, as incredible as the band from this era is, i think byard is secretly the most incredible.

ha ha! "RCA Victor are the only label that pay roayalties properly, cause they make so much money from the atomic bomb, they don't have to worry about cheating jazz musicians"

i want to have 4 kids just so i can name them jaki, dannie, eric and charles

'I am selling my own records from now on... through the mail'

i recently read the mingus bio myself when i am real -- he was a weird dude!

"Copa City Titty"!

".....nothin to do with mammaries..."

Many thanks for the heads up on this set

listening to mingus in this era i always think i'd be ok if that was all i was allowed to listen to for the rest of my days. endlessly wonderful/exciting/crazy music.

I just installed the NPR Music iPhone app to listen to this -- sounds great.

Thanks for posting that link, tylerw. Can't wait for this set. Hey, have you heard Byard's The Jaki Byard Experience? Byard, Kirk, Richard Davis, Alan Dawson. Unbelievable record.

Great review in latest issue of The Wire - sounds like the first four (Dolphy-assisted) discs are pretty essential

How long do these 'first listen' things stay up? I have to work today and don't have the internet at work! Really wanna hear this...

They usually stay up at least for a week

might as well post this here
iTunes Mingus bargains (Europe, at least)
3 in 1 for €4.99, a collection containing Mingus Ah Um, Lionel's Sessions, Pithecanthropus Erectus and The Clown. Yep, that's four!
Mingus at Carnegie Hall for €1.99

Mingus at Carnegie Hall is a sadly overlooked record. Roland Kirk is on fire.

that's the one w/ just two tracks right? and kirk hits that insane note and just holds it for eternity or something?

yep. Wish there was more from those sessions - apparently it barely scratch the surface of what they were like.

yeah reading that bio reminded me i need to hear more of his 70s stuff.

Carnegie is two tracks. Just about to play them on my way home from work :)
AMG says that release misses the opening set and the "freer finale"

Listening to this now, and yes, it's as overwhelmingly brilliant as you'd expect.

My dad saw Mingus -- the group with Dolphy, Byard, Coles, Jordan et al -- in January, 1964 at the Five Spot, two nights running. When I asked him what it was like, he paused, stared off into the distance, and said, "It was one of the greatest experiences of my life."

I wish I too had been there to see the godfather of the upright bass.

It's not just a ruckus jubilation.

The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jibeass Slippers

sorry to hear of ted curson's recent passing - the fake 'live' alb he's on w/ dolphy is prob my fave mingus rec

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/205629_601371096556572_400376268_n.jpg
salvador shared this over on facebook, pretty rad.

hahaha, even juke box operators hate him!

On one of the sets on the new Mosaic box (think it's My Favorite Quintet) he asks the audience not to buy his Columbia or Impulse records, but RCA is ok: "They must make enough from the atomic bomb to pay their musicians."

Charles Morbsus

lol, the precursor to the "language professors HATE him!" ads

Why did juke box operators hate him, because of the lengthy songs?

He decked one for playing one of his singles at the wrong speed

The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jiveass Slippers

where have I heard the opening bar of Moanin' from Blues and Roots? It sounds so familiar, but whosampled only mentions a French hiphop song I'm not that familiar with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__OSyznVDOY&feature=kp

I remember reading about this in 1989-1990, when it was in the pre-planning stages. Had no idea it actually happened -- apparently it was shown on the BBC in 1993, and released on laserdisc.

Directed by Ray Davies!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPNhnIwT920

Ha, whoops, no, let's try that again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8b6KdnnM8Y

Reading the newish Mingus Speaks book of interviews and am reminded I enjoy Mingus more as a personality than as a composer. He's never moved me, except as a bassist in small groups. His ambitions were certainly noble, I just find his chamber jazz / big band music ponderous and dull. I'm probably the only one, though, judging by previous conversations with a wide range of music fans (including my wife, who loves Mingus to death).