― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I'd start with "Blues and Roots" for the earthier side of Mingus and "Mingus Ah Um" for the more "mainstream" Mingus. Anyone with even a casual interest in jazz should hear "The Black Saint" a few times, though to be honest I don't play it too much nowadays. "Pithecanthropus Erectus" is a good mixture of the experimental with the churchy/bluesy.
Mingus's widow, Sue, maintains a big band ("The Mingus Big Band") to play his music. The personnel changes often the players are world- class, and big names like the Brecker Brothers have come through its ranks. I feel you get closer to the spirit of Mingus listening to these guys than you do listening to records. I've heard them a few times and they generally blow me away, though they were a bit weaker on a regular NY gig than they seem to be on tour.
Incidentally I don't think Joni's album is quite as bad as is generally made out - "The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey" is better than most of her post-Hejira stuff, for example.
― ArfArf, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
The Mingus Big Band I've seen a couple of times - efficient but never quite inspirational. Problem is CM's music needs the wild cards it was largely written for - and as nearly all of them are now gone (Dolphy, Kirk, Richmond, Ervin, Byard, Adams, Pullen) it becomes a bit more difficult, unless you draft in, I dunno, people like Ware or Murray, or even Zorn, into the band to shake things up a bit.
― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus: When people ask me for beginner jazz recommendations this one is usually in the first five. It's got great versions of a bunch of his classic tunes (albeit under different names), really high energy and accessible for the most part.
Mingus in Antibes: Probably the most smoking Mingus live stuff I've heard, and it's got the Eric Dolphy/Booker Ervin frontline (both of whose records are worth checking out).
― Jordan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― DG, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Billy Dods, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Bob, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Anyone else going?
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 12 September 2003 14:43 (twenty years ago) link
― robin (robin), Friday, 26 September 2003 01:21 (twenty years ago) link
http://www.mingusmingusmingus.com/orchestra/orchestra.html
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 26 September 2003 07:34 (twenty years ago) link
― george gosset (gegoss), Friday, 26 September 2003 07:58 (twenty years ago) link
― scott m (mcd), Friday, 26 September 2003 13:24 (twenty years ago) link
― george gosset (gegoss), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:34 (twenty years ago) link
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 23 April 2007 03:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 23 April 2007 03:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Emily Bjurnhjam, Monday, 23 April 2007 03:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Monday, 23 April 2007 05:16 (seventeen years ago) link
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Monday, 23 April 2007 06:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― m coleman, Monday, 23 April 2007 10:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 23 April 2007 11:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― deej, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― o. nate, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― deej, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Monday, 23 April 2007 17:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― city worker, Monday, 23 April 2007 18:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― deej, Monday, 23 April 2007 18:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Monday, 23 April 2007 19:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 07:17 (seventeen years ago) link
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 09:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― UncleTomfly, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 10:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― UncleTomfly, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 10:35 (seventeen years ago) link
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tom D., Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:27 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― danbunny, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― UncleTomfly, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 14:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 15:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 15:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 15:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― dow, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 16:46 (seventeen years ago) link
My, my, my I just picked up "The Greatest Concert of Charles Mingus" 3LP (this one: http://www.discogs.com/Charles-Mingus-The-Great-Concert-Of-Charles-Mingus/release/2223061) yesterday and it is great. One those, "well this looks good enough for $7" purchases that reminds me why I continue to love discovering music and which continues my belief that the jazz well of greatness is bottomless.
― matt2, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 01:21 (thirteen years ago) link
Let Mingus toilet train your cats
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 November 2011 19:11 (twelve years ago) link
This looks kinda neato - Mingus' Magnum Opus: 'Epitaph' In Concerthttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92884124
― tylerw, Thursday, 23 February 2012 22:18 (twelve years ago) link
90th birthday today. WKCR playing a special program, right now the Wupertal show from 1964 is on, very skronky.
― mizzell, Sunday, 22 April 2012 18:04 (twelve years ago) link
Those 1964 shows define unfuckwithable.
― Waterloo? Oh, we've sunsetted that. (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 22 April 2012 22:26 (twelve years ago) link
Cool thx, listening now
― FP Sorrow (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 22 April 2012 23:39 (twelve years ago) link
He decked one for playing one of his singles at the wrong speed
― Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 23:00 (eleven years ago) link
The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jiveass Slippers
― j., Thursday, 26 September 2013 17:20 (ten years ago) link
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.
― wank-bond-villain-looking villain, (dog latin), Thursday, 13 March 2014 01:15 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__OSyznVDOY&feature=kp
― wank-bond-villain-looking villain, (dog latin), Thursday, 13 March 2014 01:16 (ten years ago) link
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
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 14 January 2015 00:29 (nine years ago) link
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).
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Wednesday, 14 January 2015 03:07 (nine years ago) link
you must fundamentally misunderstand something about listening to music
― j., Wednesday, 14 January 2015 03:33 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqZk8KP6xjo
Does anyone know what song sampled that opening piano riff from "Trio and Group Dancers"? I want to say that it's a trip hop song.
― A-Hanisi Coates (Leee), Friday, 1 May 2015 00:28 (nine years ago) link
And pretty sure that it features a female vocalist.
― A-Hanisi Coates (Leee), Friday, 1 May 2015 00:46 (nine years ago) link
I can't believe how long I've slept on Charles Mingus. It's embarrassing, but what a treasure for someone who has been starved for something new.orchestral and cinematic, but it also swings and is full of soul. The last six months or so I been listening to these as much as possible:
Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956, Atlantic)The Clown (1957, Atlantic)Tijuana Moods (RCA, 1957 [1962])Blues & Roots (1959, Atlantic)Mingus Ah Um (1959, Columbia)Mingus Dynasty (1959, Columbia)Mingus at Antibes (1960, Atlantic)Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1960, Candid)Mingus! (1960, Candid)Oh Yeah (1961, Atlantic)The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963, Impulse!)Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1963, Impulse!; sometimes referred to as Five Mingus)Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy Cornell 1964 (Blue Note, 1964 [2007])Let My Children Hear Music (Columbia, 1972)
― nicky lo-fi, Sunday, 23 August 2015 19:52 (eight years ago) link
Charles Mingus had so many different types of tunes. The guy liked to play raw bluesy stuff trying to get some type of constant gospel call and response improvisation between the horns and piano. Then Mingus dares these European classical music pieces or orchestrated big band pieces, dense pieces of harmony. Mingus also came out of be-bop, so he's got that down too. Charles Mingus was a musician at another level and his recorded output is pretty staggering. I got to figure anything he ever did is worth listening to at least once.
― earlnash, Sunday, 23 August 2015 20:24 (eight years ago) link
Yesterday my daughter insisted on turning up mingus ah um. That was unexpected.
― Οὖτις, Sunday, 23 August 2015 20:37 (eight years ago) link
Be sure to check out Jazz Portrait: Mingus in Wonderland. John Handy and Booker Ervin!
― Liquid Plejades, Sunday, 23 August 2015 21:15 (eight years ago) link
My dad saw Mingus two nights running at the Five Spot in late 1963 -- same lineup (Dolphy, Jordan, Richmond, Byard, Coles) as the 1964 Town Hall/European dates. When I asked him what it was like, he paused, stared off into the distance and said quietly, "It was one of the greatest experiences of my life."
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 23 August 2015 23:21 (eight years ago) link
that's beautiful
― sleeve, Sunday, 23 August 2015 23:33 (eight years ago) link
That run from 1956 up to Eric Dolphy's death in 1964 is just a ton of good records. Blues and Roots and The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady are probably my favorites, but all of them are good.
― earlnash, Monday, 24 August 2015 00:54 (eight years ago) link
My dad saw Mingus two nights running at the Five Spot in late 1963it is crazy -- i've talked to someone who saw a bunch of NYC jazz in the late 50s/early 60s and it's like these titans of 20th century american music playing tiny clubs. and he says the clubs were rarely very crowded! just mind boggling.
― tylerw, Monday, 24 August 2015 16:42 (eight years ago) link
i mean, the same is true today.
― lil urbane (Jordan), Monday, 24 August 2015 17:12 (eight years ago) link
I'm actually feeling really optimistic lately, because I'm going to (and hearing reports of) jazz shows that are packed - I went to the Village Vanguard the other week to see drummer Rudy Royston's sextet and almost didn't get in! And I heard that Darius Jones did a show at the Jazz Gallery last week that was basically sold out, too. And I'm expecting a full house when I go see Kamasi Washington tonight. I've been to enough jazz shows with maybe two dozen people in the audience - including shows by artists that get tons of press, like Rob Mazurek - that this feels like a genuine shift. We'll see how long it lasts.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Monday, 24 August 2015 17:17 (eight years ago) link
Until summer vacation is over for the foreign tourists?
― Is It POLLING, Bob? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 24 August 2015 18:53 (eight years ago) link
Is it possibly a post-Whiplash thing?
― sʌxihɔːl (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 25 August 2015 10:36 (eight years ago) link
Well, last night it was definitely the result of Washington's album getting reviewed in places like Pitchfork and Spin and Rolling Stone that normally don't give a wet fart about jazz. The crowd was very young. The three strangers seated at my table were two tech bros, one of whom was ridiculing the other for having missed the most recent Purity Ring show, and a girl who worked in marketing or something - she kept talking about how some other girl was shit talking her to her team. All three agreed that this show would have been better at Le Poisson Rouge.
Anyway, the show itself was great. Thundercat guested on bass, and they also brought up an alto saxophonist and a trumpeter on different songs (the core band was Washington, a trombonist, a female vocalist, a pianist, an upright bassist, and two drummers). I bought a T-shirt.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Tuesday, 25 August 2015 12:40 (eight years ago) link
Oddly I woke up with "Weird Nightmare" in my head this morning
― chr1sb3singer, Tuesday, 25 August 2015 13:13 (eight years ago) link
I love those old jazz anecdotes! Like the Pepper Adams/Mingus one: Adams shows up at Mingus' apartment for a rehearsal, and Mingus is on the phone with someone at the Musicians Union, yelling and cursing "You white motherfucker! Someday I'm gonna get a machine gun and kill all you white motherfuckers!" Then he interrupts himself, turns to Adams and says "Cold beer in the fridge, Pepper" as courteous as can be, before continuing his tirade.― Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 24 April 2007 15:14 (8 years ago) Bookmark
― xelab, Thursday, 24 September 2015 15:49 (eight years ago) link
The BBC prom for Charles Mingus is really good damn fun, with some fine playing:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b092nc5j
― glumdalclitch, Thursday, 24 August 2017 21:06 (six years ago) link
it is still not available, but I'll deffo check that out later or tomorrow.
Slightly offtopic, but I was listening to a 10 year old Coltrane death anniversary broadcast from the R3 archives earlier. The Liebman/Lovano one that has recently been released. That one is really good as well.
― calzino, Thursday, 24 August 2017 21:55 (six years ago) link
There is a Mingus solo piano album that exists that is very nice
― calstars, Thursday, 24 August 2017 23:32 (six years ago) link
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mingus_Plays_Piano
― calstars, Thursday, 24 August 2017 23:33 (six years ago) link
This BBC Proms Mingus thing on telly is amazing rn
― Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Friday, 25 August 2017 20:00 (six years ago) link
https://www.forcedexposure.com/App_Themes/Default/Images/product_images/product_page/F/FOX036LP_PROD.jpg
In November 1958, John Cassavetes premieredhis revolutionary independent film Shadows in aseries of midnight screenings at the Paris Theaterin New York City. Village Voice critic Jonas Mekasimmediately proclaimed it a work of genius, callingit “the most frontier-breaking American feature in atleast a decade.” Most audience members, includingCassavetes, hated it.Cassavetes reassembled his castand crew and shot extensive new footage, modifyingold scenes and adding new ones. The final versionpremiered at Amos Vogel’s legendary Cinema 16 onNovember 11, 1959, and was an overnight criticalsensation.One of the myths that propelled Shadows toinstant notoriety was its improvisational origins.It’s considered by many to be the first “true”cinematic jazz narrative, both for its raciallycharged subject and its unconventional, unscriptedmaking in the streets of Manhattan.4 It’s beenfurther celebrated for an original score by oneof the all-time jazz greats, Charles Mingus.However much of the legend is deceptive. Little ofMingus’s music appears in the final film.
https://journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/JFM/article/view/8158
For the first time on vinyl, Charles Mingus's great score for the legendary 1959 directorial debut of John Cassavetes, Shadows. Much has been said about the controversial relationship between these two masters. "The score encapsulates Cassavetes's and Mingus's unique approaches to both improvisation and composition in their respective media, illuminating the oppositional nature of jazz to mainstream cultural production and the underbelly of race relations in 1950's America" --Ross Lipman
https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/mingus-charles-john-cassavetes-shadows-lp/FOX.036LP.html
― budo jeru, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 05:20 (four years ago) link
^ has anybody heard this ?
is it different than this:
https://www.discogs.com/Charles-Mingus-Shadows/master/1116572
?
― budo jeru, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 05:23 (four years ago) link
the new Deluxe Edition of Mingus at Carnegie Hall adds a fantastic 72-minute first set ... better get it in your soul
― Brad C., Saturday, 12 June 2021 19:47 (two years ago) link
Ts: get it vs get hit
― calstars, Saturday, 12 June 2021 19:54 (two years ago) link
The original single LP version of Mingus At Carnegie Hall was always one of my least favorite Mingus records, just two side-long saxophone contests (versions of the Ellington tunes "Perdido" and "C Jam Blues" with John Handy, George Lewis, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Hamiet Bluiett, and Charles McPherson taking turns trying to out-blow each other). But the rest of the concert is killer, the core band — Lewis, Bluiett, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Don Pullen on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums — playing Mingus's own music (plus Pullen's "Big Alice"). Now it's a must-hear album, IMO.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 12 June 2021 19:56 (two years ago) link
The hype sticker on the CD is hilarious:
WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND THE TRUE POWER OF JAZZ’S IMPROVISATIONAL ABILITIES WITH THIS MIND-BENDING PERFORMANCE
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 12 June 2021 20:05 (two years ago) link
Lol
― calstars, Saturday, 12 June 2021 20:41 (two years ago) link
Happy Mingus Centennial!https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/wkcr/story/charles-mingus-centennial-broadcast https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/arts/music/charles-mingus-centennial.html
― mizzell, Thursday, 21 April 2022 23:25 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch71BX1PskQ
marcello c shared this '64 rehearsal vid earlier, the footage is in such good nick it looked like it could have been filmed yesterday. And quite sadly Dolphy looks in such good health, it's hard to believe he's nearly gone:(
― calzino, Thursday, 21 April 2022 23:34 (two years ago) link
Jaki Byard was another sad futile death, albeit much later as well, shot dead in his apartment. Great pianist.
― calzino, Thursday, 21 April 2022 23:52 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2KDM6TA6ow
― Maresn3st, Friday, 22 April 2022 21:30 (two years ago) link
I've been on a big Mingus listening spree the last couple of weeks. It got me thinking about what happened with him and Jimmy Knepper and I was curious about the circumstances of Knepper working with Mingus some late in life.
I did not quite find an exact answer, but I did find this interesting article I thought was a good and worthwhile read.
http://americanaejournal.hu/vol10jazz/gabbard
― earlnash, Saturday, 10 September 2022 15:43 (one year ago) link
I had forgotten how Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert contains a LOT of Bill Cosby interludes. Or maybe it sunk more in the background back then. Still, "Ecclusiastics"
― Terrycoth Baphomet (bendy), Friday, 30 June 2023 22:03 (ten months ago) link