Charles Mingus Music

If you let go of all expectations you may have for classical music and the interpretation of classical music you are in for a special treat. Mike Perlowin is a genius arranger and player of the Pedal Steel guitar and you can hear the passion he put into this outstanding one-of-a-kind recording project. It must have taken him years to record this album. Defenitely a collectors item!!! The original release is out of print, but fortunately it was reissued by Mike himself. Bravo Mike!!!

Although Mr. Perlowin's arrangement of Stravinsky's Firebird suite is effective, the rest of the album becomes a test of my endurance. I admire his mastery of the instrument, and it's a noble effort, but I'd recommend listening to this in small doses.

Mike Perlowin's landmark recording has been controversial in the steel guitar world since the day it was released. Those who consider the pedal steel a country & western instrument are outraged by the selection of classical material. But Perlowin is a great player, and this multilayered studio wizardry may well become the benchmark by which all future classical pedal steel recordings are judged.

There is not one country steel "lick" on this CD. Instead, the listener is treated to unusual arrangements of familiar pieces picked carefully from the modern classical repertoire.

The title track, "Firebird Suite", places most of the orchestral instruments as various timbres of the pedal steel. Some of the voices sound like an electronic synthesizer. The density of this pedal steel layering rivals that of a live symphony orchestra. The effect is quite striking.

In contrast, some of the pieces are arranged to highlight the simple beauty of the instrument. For example, Debussy's popular "Maid with the Flaxen Hair" is played as a strightforward pedal steel duet. It's wonderful to hear some of the world's greatest music arranged properly for this unusual instrument.

Perlowin makes careful, studied use of the pedal steel's characteristic glissando effect. He takes the view that the composers would probably have added glisses to their melodies if they had been writing for the pedal steel. I'm not sure I would agree, but since Perlowin's arrangements remain faithful to the spirit of the compositions I can forgive his enthusiasm.

I give this CD a 5 star rating. It belongs in the collection of every modern classical music fan, and every musician. It effectively breaks the pedal steel stereotype. It also refutes the traditionalist notion that music must be "live" to be listenable. I carry this CD in my car and listen to it often. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I notice that Amazons' description didn't include the track list, so here it is:

1. Fanfare for the Common Man (Copland)
2. Prelude No. 2 (Gershwin)
3. New Year's Song No. 4 (Bartòk)
4. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (Debussy)
5. Le Petit Nègre (Debussy)
6. Gymnopèdies No. 1 (Satie)
7. Polka (Shostakovich)
8. The Maid with the Flaxen Hair (Debussy)
9. Firebird Suite (Stravinsky)
10. Good-bye Pork Pie Hat (Mingus)

This band's name is misleading, as the album contains not only drums and tuba, but trumpet, whistles, sax and vibraphone-plus esoteric habiliments like spare change and duct tape-all employed to dazzling effect. And oh, don't worry, there are guitars as well. D&T run the stylistic gamut from surf rock to jazz to marching band kitsch to whatever, often within the confines of a single song. The band's various modes are unified by their precise execution and instincts regarding shifts between narcotic repetition and blistering intensity. Highly recommended.

I know that title sounds like hypebole. But once you know this album, you cannot help but wish you had been in the audience. I challenge anyone to listen to James Brown at the Apollo, B.B. King at the Regal, the Allman Brothers at the Fillmore, or this album and not feel the same way.
Mingus fans know that there are many pirate recordings of this 1964 European tour. This was the official Columbia release and it beats all others that I have heard not only in the quality of sound but in the performances. These guys were totally on their game when this was recorded.
What a band. Eric Dolphy playing the alto sax, bass clarinet and flute, Clifford Jordan on the tenor, Jaki Byard on piano and Mingus' great soulmate, Dannie Richmond on the drums. Johnny Coles was on the tour but he only plays on one of the songs due to illness.
There are only six tunes on these two discs. More than two hours of music of extraordinary strength. Mingus fans will know that he was well versed in classical music as well as jazz. This group somehow combines the best of a jazz combo with the best of a chamber group. There is superb ensemble and individual playing of some of the greatest music ever written by an American composer. There are astounding solos. Jaki Byard had the entire history of the piano deeply engrained in his soul and that knowledge could flow out of his fingers in one solo. Eric Dolphy is one of the unique voices in music, instantly recognizable yet tremendously influential. Clifford Jordan is, for my money, the most underrated tenor player of all time. The guy has such a soulful sound, was technically superb, took great pride in his ensemble work and was a wonderful soloist. If you ever find his In The World CD buy it. Danny is great-alway there, sounding powerful and understated at the same time. The heart of the band was, of course, Mingus. If you ever saw him live you will know what I mean. Shouting out encouragement, challenging everybody and anything complacent, pouring out his heart through that great bass of his.
This is great great music. Music like this exhausts my vocabulary. This disc like Kind of Blue, like Monk and Trane playing together belongs in every collection of modern jazz.

This has been very hard to find for many years. I love Mingus' music. For more than thirty years I have come back to it every six months or so and been moved anew (I listen to everything from Messiaen to Son House to Lightning Bolt). This is my favorite. "Meditations" (including Ming's rant at the beginning -oddly put at the end of Parkerania instead of introducing Meditations) would get my vote for the single greatest piece of music in jazz. The breadth of this music is astonishing, not "free", but unbounded with all the depth in the world. I agree with everything Greg Taylor says in his review. What Ming and Dannie play behind the solos is more powerful than any other rhythm section ever achieved (even Max behind Sonny on Strode Rode and Elvin & co behind Trane on Transition). Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet solo on Meditations is IMHO the best he ever played. The trio of piano, bowed bass, and flute in the final section is mesmerising. Words are inadequate to describe music like this. If you see this, buy it. If you don't like it, make it available to some who will. It's criminal that this has been so hard to find.

This is a must for Mingus fans, and for anyone who enjoys the more experimental jazz sounds of the early 60's. Although there are some fairly challenging numbers, others are more accessible to the newcomer. It's probably his best live CD (rivaled only by "Live at Antibes); the introductions by Mingus, the enthusiastic, respectful audience, and the musicians' spontaneity augment the concert feeling. Long unavailable, the 2-CD set captures well over 2 hours of an April 1964 concert in Paris, part of Mingus' first European tour, and boasts a phenomenal lineup including Eric Dolphy, Jaki Byard, Clifford Jordan, and Dannie Richmond.

Track 1, "A.T.F.W.," alternates between the long complex lines of "A.T." (Art Tatum), and the playful, raggish sounds of "F.W." (Fats Waller), all unified by Mingus' arrangement. Pianist Jaki Byard is all over the map: He plays some bop riffs, then somehow blends this with a New Orleans ragtime sound: It's a kaleidoscopic synthesis of jazz styles. Later, Byard slows the tempo a la Bill Evans, then recapitulates his combination of Waller spirit and Tatum speed. The number is evocative, playful, and light, but also evinces mastery and creativity. Track 2 (just over a minute) is a humorous introduction in which Mingus introduces Johnny Coles` trumpet. According to the liner notes, Coles was hospitalized following a stomach ulcer condition, so Mingus introduced his onstage trumpet.

"So Long Eric" (21:47), like "A.T.F.W.," was not released on the original 3-LP album (America; 003/4/5) due to poor sound quality; Alexis Frenkel's restoration is excellent. Mingus plays the opening riff quietly, then the orchestra enters with typical Mingus assemblage of dissonance , repeated lines, and structured improvisation. Although it's basically a blues piece, it feels ready to burst out of that format at any moment. At a time change, the saxophone does break out into a boppish fast solo; the pairing of the Jordan's long lines and Richmond's punching drums is very effective. The piece changes direction so many times that it's like switching channels on an jazz CD compilation album, yet the emotional content, the tonal center, and the rhythmic constancy preserve its unity. Byard is again brilliant, mixing chords and single notes, and Mingus has some very effective walking bass lines and fast triplets. If this sounds too complex, it isn't, it's an easily enjoyed, and eminently listenable piece. The band quotes "Route 66," from which it seems to borrow much of it harmonic and melodic structure. The composition gets more wild and complex as it proceeds, but this progression is so gradual--like rippling circles turning back onto one another-- that it becomes an organic whole.

On "Orange...,"(Track 4, 14:29) Mingus explains that the piano will play the trumpet part usually performed by the ill Coles. With the deep sounding sax and Dolphy on bass clarinet, the orchestration works. This song has Ellingtonian elegance, to which Mingus adds twists and dissonance. This "mood music" contains several strange voicings backed by Mingus' varying bass tempos and bends, but it returns to the Ellington grand sound later. Byard evens it out with some floaty play. An interesting number that initially requires some concentration. The first CD concludes with "Fables of Faubus," a melodic number that ridicules the segregationist Governor of Arkansas, Orville Faubus. There's some excellent ensemble playing, and the band also expresses anger, confusion, and threat. As if leaving the doubts behind, the band breaks into a more swinging sound at times. An innovative version of a superb and brave composition.

Mingus greatly admired Ellington (he played on the band before a fight with Juan Tizol got him fired), and he opens the second set with "Sophisticated Lady." It's a beautiful, lyrical rendition, with a very tender bass solo playing the melody over piano chords and soft drumming. Definitely an antidote to all those bass solo jokes. Mingus' playing is truly exceptional, and it's a thrilling blend of traditional, romantic elements with some more adventurous riffs. Mingus announces that Charles Parker inspired "Parkeriana (Dedicated to a Genius)," another great with whom Mingus played). The composition begins vigorously, with fast riffs on the sax, but he reconstructs the sounds: There's a flat tonal quality, rapid temp changes, Max Roach "bomb" drum shots, and then several returns to a more traditional bop sound. Mingus sets the bop context that centers the piece, even though he never stays with it very long. Byard plays some superb bop-flavored solos (although he returns playfully to the Fats Waller sound of "A.T.F.W."!), and Mingus clearly enjoys it. During these sections, the song loses some of its original intention; it's dominated by Byard's swing. Then Dolphy takes the lead, and it returns to a more abstract bop stance.

Introducing "Meditation On Integration (Or For A Pair of Wire Cutters)" Mingus refers to "the new concentration camps...in America, in the South." There's "electric barbed wire," and Mingus alludes to the possibility of genocide. The piece opens with a motif that eloquently captures Mingus' introduction. The music implies threat, oppression, and suffering. When the tempo increases, the cut sounds like a warning, as well as a call to action. It's one of his best compositions, combining jazz and Stravinsky in a wide-ranging emotional expression that perfectly captures the themes. While the riffs go in different directions, Mingus' driving bass holds it together. Excellent solos by Dolphy and Jordan, with solid propulsive drums by Dannie Richmond. The composition has some amazing passages, especially the mixture and juxtaposition of solo and ensemble statements. About midpoint, the piece slows to an elegiac pace, with Mingus playing a bowed bass that sounds like a cello (which he once studied), and Byard and Dolphy combining on a Debussy-like interlude.

The liner notes include some interesting but poorly written analysis and anecdotes, although the author sets the historical context well. Some listing of solo order and instrumentation (when possible) would have been helpful. Exciting, fun, and bursting with creativity, this performance stands out as an astonishing masterpiece of that most elusive accomplishment: the jazz "long form."

The first time I heard this album, I realized how visual this evocative and stunning music is. The band is in top form here; Dolphy and Jordan just outdo themselve on the reeds. Jacki Byard effortlessly jumps from swing to ragtime and Classical music with the ease and drama of Mingus's sudden tempo change. One of the previous reviewers said "Meditations On Integration" was the best Jazz tune ever. Well, I will see his boast and raise him one by calling this spontaneous, passionate masterpiece the greatest piece of music ever created by anyone.

Read the other reviews to find out about the performance (it's great), but if you're wondering about the sound quality, I'll tell you that the people doing the recording were amateurs. It's very obvious. On a couple of tracks, you can hear someone repositioning a microphone, banging it against something in the process. These were left off of previous editions, but restored to this one due to historic considerations and the fact that they're good tracks, but the entire disc suffers from improper mic placement. Everybody sounds far away from the microphones.

If you're a Mingus completest, or if sound quality isn't a major concern, you'll want to get this. But if sound quality is a big deal to you, I'd pass.

This concert from 1964 in Paris has been released many times both legitimately and as a bootleg. It's a classic performance that actually lives up to its billing with one of the greatest Mingus ensembles: Eric Dolphy and Clifforn Jordon on saxophones, Jaki Byard on piano and Dannie Richmond on drums. Trumpeter Johnny Coles was a member of this band, but fell ill before this performance and is not included here.

"ATFW" short for Art Tatum - Fats Waller begins the concert with an example of Jaki Byard's piano artistry as he moves through stride, swing, bop and everything in-between. "So Long Eric" brings out the entire band for a tribute to Dolphy who was preparing to leave the band to embark on a solo career in Europe. Starting with the fanfare like theme, Clifford Jordon gets a deep burning tenor saxophone solo followed by piano. Dolphy enters with an ebullient solo of his own and after that Richmond and Mingus trade fours at the end of the tune. "Orange was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk" gets a very Ellingtonian feel with swinging solos from Jordan and Byard before Dolphy loops in with a solo that instantly modernizes everything.

"Fables of Faubus" begins with the great mocking theme followed by a long tenor saxophone solo - after that the whole band kicks back in with a burning group improvisation. The Duke Ellington composition "Sophisticated Lady" is a bass feature for Mingus who improvises deeply on Duke's beautiful melody. "Parkeriana" is a medly of Charlie Parker songs and sets Eric Dolphy loose on an amazing improvisational flight, and Jordon not to be out done, digs deep into his bebop bag on a lengthy solo. The horn players lay out for Byard's solo which starts out with fleet bop before breaking into a stride interlude to the delight of the audience. Dolphy re-enters and solos again, really showing that his music was the logical extension of Parker's music of the 40's and 50's.

The concert ends with a long performance of Mingus' "Meditations (On Integration)" prefaced by a spoken introduction by the leader before the sad melody begins. Beautiful solos abound from Dolphy's bass clarinet to Mingus' deeply felt bowed bass solo. This was really a landmark performance and it's good to see it widely available. The whole tour was widely bootlegged, so hopefully some more of this amazing music will be rescued and officially released.