Charles Mingus Music

This trio of extended live performances gets better and better as it goes along. It goes from the group's most indulgent and flimsy, which characterizes the least engaging aspects of Mingus's approach, to the last track remains one of the most palpable and epic tributes to the saxophone giant Parker.

Virtuoso performance by a Mingus band should hardly come as a surprise, but these lengthy solos and ensemble choruses by Mingus, Eric Dolphy, clifford Jordan, Jaki Byard and Danny Richmond are something special.

Performing lengthy live versions of "Fables of Faubus", "Peggy's Blue Skylights" and "Parkeriana" (all Mingus compositions; the last one, ofcourse, a tribute to Charlie Parker) the band shows that it has the entire repertoire of jazz on its fingertips (from stride piano to psychodelic free allusions).
Mingus (b) and Eric Dolphy (as, cl, fl) are main stars, but other players are also first class artists.

This is great for footage of Mingus...but Gunther Schuller really ruins the documentary-part of the film...claiming that he was Mingus' closest friend and he was the only one Mingus trusted. Now if that were true, then how come Schuller can't take Mingus' music anywhere near where Mingus took it? There are too many lame and repetitive interviews...but if you're in for the mingus footage, it's a good buy.

The material featured on this DVD focuses on chosen points of Mingus'life as a composer and spans a wide sweep of the bassist and composer. For those who relished the thought of finally catching a glimpse of those so Mingusy bass figures, this is going to be a letdown. However, if you are going for Mingus the composer, this is definitely a must-have. There is good quality footage of live performances from the 60s and 70s which provide an appropriate overview of the relentess worker Mingus was and how wide-ranging his inspirational interests were. Mingus's two wives contribute poignant comments and lead you right into the man's passion and anguish. All the musicians interviewed give a clear sense of how galvanizing Mingus's presence was and Gunther's Schuller's musical comments are downright accurate and to the point and he does a concinving job of setting the record straight on Mingus the composer. One thing to mention though, if you like your bass loud and clear, particularly Mingus's warm tone, you might need to turn up the volume. Other than that, you have got to get this simply because there hasn't been much Mingus footage out there yet.

I have this on VHS tape and DVD. I've watched it dozens of times. To me, it's not about Mingus the bass player or composer. It's about how great artists are often conflicted, complex, sometimes self-destructive and contradictory people. And in this sense it is a 100% successful documentary with spot-on interviews. But the archival sound on the DVD is just terrible. Speaking and more mordern music sound is OK. Older music is better on the VHS tape.

This documentary unapologetically has a mission: to elevate Charles Mingus' status to "great" composer. Whether he is or is not can be argued, but when compared with the likes of Duke Ellington who was unquestionably a great composer, he might move down just a notch. A "great" bass player? Unquestionably. Herein lies my complaint: not enough focus on Mingus the bass player. That being said, this documentary makes it clear that Mingus and music are one. The most introspective moments come in the form of home movies of Mingus sitting at the piano composing. One scene in particular has him playing "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on an old upright to his daughter. Clearly this documentary was a work of love put together by those who revere his music and want to keep it alive. Make no mistake, the music is great and this documentary is a worthy effort.

I must agree with the review entitled 'disappointed'. I am an avid collector of Mingus records and am familiar with much of his career. This attempt at a portrait of Mingus is poorly constructed and fails to provide even a basic overview of his life and music. There is no chronology as tantalising snippts of film jump from the seventies back to the fifties, with scarce an opportunity to listen to an extended piece. Rather than allow the rare concert footage and original recordings to 'speak for themselves', the filmmakers lean heavily on ponderous and repetitive interviews that either emphasise how volatile a personality was Mingus or how he was an American equivalent of a Schoenberg. There is virtually no discussion of any one of his many innovative recordings, and the film moves briskly through his 'golden period' of roughly '55 to '65 with little mention of his many great achievements. We are told repeatedly what a great composer and bassist Mingus was, and yet the film includes precious little footage of Mingus and his bands performing. As mentioned, the chronology of the footage is so poorly arranged that there is no sense of what a remarkable period of activity Mingus sustained during that ten year period in which the vast bulk of his classic recordings were made.
A disappointment, but worth having for the rare Mingus footage. But this poor excuse for a documentary does not serve as a good introduction to his career.

This is great for footage of Mingus...but Gunther Schuller really ruins the documentary-part of the film...claiming that he was Mingus' closest friend and he was the only one Mingus trusted. Now if that were true, then how come Schuller can't take Mingus' music anywhere near where Mingus took it? There are too many lame and repetitive interviews...but if you're in for the mingus footage, it's a good buy.

The material featured on this DVD focuses on chosen points of Mingus'life as a composer and spans a wide sweep of the bassist and composer. For those who relished the thought of finally catching a glimpse of those so Mingusy bass figures, this is going to be a letdown. However, if you are going for Mingus the composer, this is definitely a must-have. There is good quality footage of live performances from the 60s and 70s which provide an appropriate overview of the relentess worker Mingus was and how wide-ranging his inspirational interests were. Mingus's two wives contribute poignant comments and lead you right into the man's passion and anguish. All the musicians interviewed give a clear sense of how galvanizing Mingus's presence was and Gunther's Schuller's musical comments are downright accurate and to the point and he does a concinving job of setting the record straight on Mingus the composer. One thing to mention though, if you like your bass loud and clear, particularly Mingus's warm tone, you might need to turn up the volume. Other than that, you have got to get this simply because there hasn't been much Mingus footage out there yet.

I have this on VHS tape and DVD. I've watched it dozens of times. To me, it's not about Mingus the bass player or composer. It's about how great artists are often conflicted, complex, sometimes self-destructive and contradictory people. And in this sense it is a 100% successful documentary with spot-on interviews. But the archival sound on the DVD is just terrible. Speaking and more mordern music sound is OK. Older music is better on the VHS tape.

This documentary unapologetically has a mission: to elevate Charles Mingus' status to "great" composer. Whether he is or is not can be argued, but when compared with the likes of Duke Ellington who was unquestionably a great composer, he might move down just a notch. A "great" bass player? Unquestionably. Herein lies my complaint: not enough focus on Mingus the bass player. That being said, this documentary makes it clear that Mingus and music are one. The most introspective moments come in the form of home movies of Mingus sitting at the piano composing. One scene in particular has him playing "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on an old upright to his daughter. Clearly this documentary was a work of love put together by those who revere his music and want to keep it alive. Make no mistake, the music is great and this documentary is a worthy effort.

I must agree with the review entitled 'disappointed'. I am an avid collector of Mingus records and am familiar with much of his career. This attempt at a portrait of Mingus is poorly constructed and fails to provide even a basic overview of his life and music. There is no chronology as tantalising snippts of film jump from the seventies back to the fifties, with scarce an opportunity to listen to an extended piece. Rather than allow the rare concert footage and original recordings to 'speak for themselves', the filmmakers lean heavily on ponderous and repetitive interviews that either emphasise how volatile a personality was Mingus or how he was an American equivalent of a Schoenberg. There is virtually no discussion of any one of his many innovative recordings, and the film moves briskly through his 'golden period' of roughly '55 to '65 with little mention of his many great achievements. We are told repeatedly what a great composer and bassist Mingus was, and yet the film includes precious little footage of Mingus and his bands performing. As mentioned, the chronology of the footage is so poorly arranged that there is no sense of what a remarkable period of activity Mingus sustained during that ten year period in which the vast bulk of his classic recordings were made.
A disappointment, but worth having for the rare Mingus footage. But this poor excuse for a documentary does not serve as a good introduction to his career.

Charlie Parker / Chasin' The Bird
Track Title
1. How High The Moon
2. Moose The Mooch
3. Be Bob A Lula
4. Yardbird Suite
5. Crazeology
6. Slow Boat To China
7. Riff Raff
8. Scrapple From The Apple
9. Star Eyes
10. Sly Mongoose
11. 'Round Midnight
12. Theme
13. Rocker
14. Don't Blame Me
15. Relaxin' In Camarillo
16. Constelation
17. Bluebird
18. Parker's Mood
19. Marmaduke
20. Bird Of Paradise
21. My Old Flame
22. Chasin' The Bird

Tracklisting:

CD1:
Maiden Voyage Herbie Hancock 7:55
It's Only a Paper Moon Ella Fitzgerald 3:38
The Bridge Sonny Rollins 6:00
Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am Charles Mingus 4:45
The Baron Eric Dolphy 2:58
Stolen Moments Olivier Nelson 8:48
Night Rider Stan Getz 3:59
A Love Supreme--Part 1: Acknowledgement John Coltrane 7:48
Prelude to a Kiss Archie Shepp 4:52
It's a Raggy Waltz The Dave Brubeck Quartet 5:15
Mr. Lucky Sarah Vaughan 2:30
Cristo Redentor Donald Byrd 5:45
Blues Connotation Coleman, Ornette Quartet 5:17
Four on Six Wes Montgomery 6:13

CD 2:
Smack Up Art Pepper Quintet 4:18
Petty Larceny Art Balkey And The Jazz Messengers 6:17
Day by Day Sun Ra & His Astro'Infinity Arkestra 3:38
African Lady Abbey Lincoln 3:48
Freedom Jazz Dance The Miles Davis Quintet 7:15
Where Flamingos Fly The Gil Evans Orchestra 5:13
Blue Bossa Joe Henderson 8:02
Whap! Jack Mc Duff 4:29
The Jody Grind The Horace Silver Quintet 5:51
Ghosts Albert Ayler 2:50
Dream Gypsy Bill Evans & Jim Hall 4:35
Four by Five McCoy Tyner 6:37
The Inflated Tear Rahsaan Roland Kirk 4:56
The Creator Has a Master Plan Pharoah Sanders 9:08