Charles Mingus Music

for those that love Mingus, this inspired and historical release is a real gift. very few of his comtemporaries so aptly continued the Ellington tradition of arrangement, instrumental color and sheer beauty. if Mingus AhUm and Blues N' Roots get you fired up, this one will knock your socks clear off. our porkpie hats off to Charles Mingus. when he played, he really MEANT it!

I love Mingus, but as many critics including Martin Williams pointed out, the edited versions are superior. Buy Ah Am and Dynasty and skip the Complete Versions. I had a record called Nostalia in Time Square, recordings from '59 but released in '79 with many solos that were originally edited out, and believe me, even Mingus bands were capable of uninspired and flawed work. That's why they waited 20 years to release them, when we were all crying because there'd be no more, good or otherwise. Buy Mingus in Wonderland, while you're at it. The original edits are the best, don't fool yourself.

Having amassed a fairly large Jazz collection over the past few years I have to say that this reissue of Ah Um & Mingus Dynasty is easily one of the best collections you could buy. The playing and composition is outstanding and the best of Mingus' work easily stands its ground with Miles and Coltrane in their prime

The original 1959 session captured here produced two albums, "Mingus Ah Um" and "Mingus Dynasty." "Ah Um" is one of the greatest records in jazz history and is perfect in every way, and the latter is not too shabby either.

Now comes this complete set, restoring all original edits and including alternate takes. It's great to have this music, but the result is a bit strange. The restoration on "Ah Um" show how smart the edits were, because the restored version is not as good, in comparison, the the original issued. It's a question of tightness. For example, one tune has the first chorus that Booker Ervin took on a solo, which had been cut out of the record. It was cut out because it wasn't that good; Ervin was a great player when inspired, but wasn't always *on,* and on the particular track it takes him time to find his way. One of the pleasures of "Ah Um" was how tight and concise it was, and these sessions aren't quite the same. Still fine music, but without the edge that made the original so astonishing.

[Lest anyone object that this is a case of an artist vision being compromised in the past and now restored, blah blah blah, that's not true. Mingus was constantly involved in the recording process and like Miles Davis and even Glenn Gould used editing to make the best record he could].

"Mingus Dynasty" does not suffer by comparison in the same way, since the original, while good, wasn't the same sort of masterpiece that, in the guise of completeness, is now flawed. That CD is still quite strong in this set. The final disc is alternate takes, interesting to listen to but definitely inferior to the masters.

If Mingus is important to you, and the history and process of jazz interests you, this is a great set to have. If you are a jazz fan and don't need the complete everything, you'd do just fine buying "Ah Um" by itself - in fact, you're not a fan if you don't have it!

Having just got into Jazz over the last six months and having some spare cash I decided that I wanted something special to add to my collection. This was my choice and it was worth every penny. The music is gripping. With Mingus's verbal direction being audible you feel that you're there in the studio with the guys. The cover photos and notes are superb. The end result is something which satisfies at both the gut and the intellectual level. So you think that the Alternate Takes sounds like a rip-off.Not a bit of it.Every track is worthy of being played time and time again. Inspirational!!!!

Wow! Extensive box set. All of this music is above average jazz, but not all of it is up to Mingus' standards. The music on this box was recorded before the initial breakthrough Mingus triumph of "Pithecantropus Erectus."

Mingus formed the small Debut record company in the early '50s with fellow jazz great, drummer Max Roach. Times were hard. Running the company and playing on all the tracks of his own albums, as well as others' albums took quite a toll on Mingus.

Until....Epithany. Mingus found the formula for success by allowing his players a freer, more improv approach, other than sticking to the written out structures. This worked. MINGUS AT THE BOHEMIA, included in it's entirety (which is far more than originally issued on the single album) really shows Mingus coming into his own as a leader.

Early versions of "Haitian Fight Song," and "A Foggy Day" are included, giving insight to each song's developement.

"Rhapsody In Blue," "Jeepers Creepers," "A Night In Tunisia," and "Cherokee" are standouts.

Contains a rare Miles Davis album, "Blue Moods," with Mingus on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. Very cool.

Also contains the entire "Jazz At Massey Hall" concert featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Max Roach, and ofcourse, Charles Mingus.

If you are interested in the developement of Charles Mingus, this is a prime place to stop.

Very nice packaging and informative booklet.

May be too much material for the casual fan.

Clifford Jordan, Eric Dolphy, Johnny Coles, Jaki Byard, and of course, the powerhouse team of Mingus and Richmond. In short, this was one of the great Mingus bands. It was also sadly, short-lived with the departure of Eric Dolphy, who died not long after, then the hospitalization of the Johnny Coles (shamelessly under-recorded) and not long after, the departure of Clifford Jordan.
While this is an outstanding two disc set, I still prefer the Legendary Paris Concerts recorded just one month later.
Having said that, I should add that this is an outstanding album, capturing one of the best bands Mingus ever put together.
To those who don't know of Mingus, this record is a good starting point.

OMG, this is wonderful music. Jackie Byard's piano solos are worth the price in gold. He includes so many nuances, tidbits of memories, and incorporates the whole Americana. Mr. Mingus's bass is thumping and pushing the musicians far beyond what I have heard in the past. How about Jonny Coles? What can I say, his tone is clear and he puts in 110%. Eric Dolphy's solos are great, and even Danny Richmond gets some too! All this, plus it swings! This is 5 star all the way! A welcome addition to my collection.

When I found this album and listened to it for the first time, I felt I had discovered something wonderful and unique. Here is an album that has all the positives and negatives of a live end-to-end recording. Sure, it has rough patches along with some sound and recording issues, but it doesn't matter.

I had the sense of being right there with Mingus and his group as they played / played off each other and grooved in a number of wild and Mingus-like ways. Sounds / rhythms / riffs / grooves / puns and explorations are all to be found on this wonderful album. Thank God this recording was found (even if posthumously). It is as if Mingus left us all an inheritance - his own gift to the rest of us as reminder of his wonderful sound and the incredible music he made happen several decades ago...

The discovery of previously unissued material by major artists does not always deliver on its apparent promise, but this heretofore unknown date is not only of historic significance, but is also a prime example of the Mingus band in action.
It was recorded at Cornell University in March, shortly before the European tour of 1964, and features a line-up of Mingus's ever-changing Jazz Workshop that has not been preserved in studio recordings.
The two-disc set not only adds a new slice of high-quality music to the Mingus catalogue, but also extends the available material from saxophonist Eric Dolphy, who is prominently featured here (three months before his death in Berlin) alongside Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone, Johnny Coles on trumpet, pianist Jaki Byard, Dannie Richmond on drums, and the magisterial Mingus on bass.
They make amazing music: the incredible dynamism of the compositions is captured perfectly by an ensemble that manages to be wild and controlled at the same time.
Even more than his bass-playing, it's this prodigious bandleading feat - which musicians today still aspire to - that lies at the heart of Mingus' genius and continued relevance.
This two-disc package is a perfect chance to check out the magic - live and undiluted.
Essential listening for Mingus fans, and equally recommended for anyone with an interest in 1960s jazz.

This is a brilliant, magnificent, previously unreleased and recently discovered recording of Charles Mingus's greatest band - or at least one of them - playing live at Cornell University, shortly before the European tour, in March 1964.
The music is scorchingly good, endlessly inventive, full of surprises and played with a fire that only rarely makes it onto record.
The only caveat is that the remarkable sextet in question was extensively documented, performing much the same repertoire. It included Eric Dolphy - one of the supreme jazz figures of the era - on flute, alto and bass clarinet in towering form throughout on extended versions of "Fable of Faubus" and "Meditations", but the rest of the group are not far behind.
If you don't already know mid-'60s Mingus, this double CD is an excellent place to begin. The band, which also boasted Jaki Byard on piano, Johnny Coles trumpet, and Clifford Jordan, tenor, was evidently feeling euphoric that night and the sound is excellent.
And then there's Mingus himself, playing at the top of his form.
Even those who already have a row of recordings by this very ensemble may be tempted by, for example, the wild, impromptu version of "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" played by Mingus for the first and last time in honour of St Patrick's Day.
Unmissable.

Clifford Jordan, Eric Dolphy, Johnny Coles, Jaki Byard, and of course, the powerhouse team of Mingus and Richmond. In short, this was one of the great Mingus bands. It was also sadly, short-lived with the departure of Eric Dolphy, who died not long after, then the hospitalization of the Johnny Coles (shamelessly under-recorded) and not long after, the departure of Clifford Jordan.
While this is an outstanding two disc set, I still prefer the Legendary Paris Concerts recorded just one month later.
Having said that, I should add that this is an outstanding album, capturing one of the best bands Mingus ever put together.
To those who don't know of Mingus, this record is a good starting point.

OMG, this is wonderful music. Jackie Byard's piano solos are worth the price in gold. He includes so many nuances, tidbits of memories, and incorporates the whole Americana. Mr. Mingus's bass is thumping and pushing the musicians far beyond what I have heard in the past. How about Jonny Coles? What can I say, his tone is clear and he puts in 110%. Eric Dolphy's solos are great, and even Danny Richmond gets some too! All this, plus it swings! This is 5 star all the way! A welcome addition to my collection.

When I found this album and listened to it for the first time, I felt I had discovered something wonderful and unique. Here is an album that has all the positives and negatives of a live end-to-end recording. Sure, it has rough patches along with some sound and recording issues, but it doesn't matter.

I had the sense of being right there with Mingus and his group as they played / played off each other and grooved in a number of wild and Mingus-like ways. Sounds / rhythms / riffs / grooves / puns and explorations are all to be found on this wonderful album. Thank God this recording was found (even if posthumously). It is as if Mingus left us all an inheritance - his own gift to the rest of us as reminder of his wonderful sound and the incredible music he made happen several decades ago...

The discovery of previously unissued material by major artists does not always deliver on its apparent promise, but this heretofore unknown date is not only of historic significance, but is also a prime example of the Mingus band in action.
It was recorded at Cornell University in March, shortly before the European tour of 1964, and features a line-up of Mingus's ever-changing Jazz Workshop that has not been preserved in studio recordings.
The two-disc set not only adds a new slice of high-quality music to the Mingus catalogue, but also extends the available material from saxophonist Eric Dolphy, who is prominently featured here (three months before his death in Berlin) alongside Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone, Johnny Coles on trumpet, pianist Jaki Byard, Dannie Richmond on drums, and the magisterial Mingus on bass.
They make amazing music: the incredible dynamism of the compositions is captured perfectly by an ensemble that manages to be wild and controlled at the same time.
Even more than his bass-playing, it's this prodigious bandleading feat - which musicians today still aspire to - that lies at the heart of Mingus' genius and continued relevance.
This two-disc package is a perfect chance to check out the magic - live and undiluted.
Essential listening for Mingus fans, and equally recommended for anyone with an interest in 1960s jazz.

This is a brilliant, magnificent, previously unreleased and recently discovered recording of Charles Mingus's greatest band - or at least one of them - playing live at Cornell University, shortly before the European tour, in March 1964.
The music is scorchingly good, endlessly inventive, full of surprises and played with a fire that only rarely makes it onto record.
The only caveat is that the remarkable sextet in question was extensively documented, performing much the same repertoire. It included Eric Dolphy - one of the supreme jazz figures of the era - on flute, alto and bass clarinet in towering form throughout on extended versions of "Fable of Faubus" and "Meditations", but the rest of the group are not far behind.
If you don't already know mid-'60s Mingus, this double CD is an excellent place to begin. The band, which also boasted Jaki Byard on piano, Johnny Coles trumpet, and Clifford Jordan, tenor, was evidently feeling euphoric that night and the sound is excellent.
And then there's Mingus himself, playing at the top of his form.
Even those who already have a row of recordings by this very ensemble may be tempted by, for example, the wild, impromptu version of "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" played by Mingus for the first and last time in honour of St Patrick's Day.
Unmissable.