Charles Mingus Music

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this album. Ellington's compositions are brilliant as always, and his playing is deliciously tasteful while managing at the same time to be intriguingly left of center. Max Roach's drumming is powerful and funky, proving once again that nobody swings harder.
The one that really disappointed me was Mingus, which is tragic because he is among my absolute favorite musicians. His tone is harsh and trebly, which isn't helped by the odd riffs and fills he plays that sound more like rasping sound effects than a harmonic foundation.
The whole recording just sounds slightly off. The rhythms never lock up. The improvisations go to interesting places, but they do so without the professionalism that should be expected of such top-notch performers.

So many times in the history of music, there have been summits where musical heavyweights are brought together on a promising project that ends up falling short of it's promise. Not the case here by a long shot!

Jazz fans do not need any introduction to the staggering acheivements of these three titans of Piano, Composition, Bass and Drums. All three bring their full talents to this project. Mingus and Roach do not merely support Ellington, they push him and battle him. Ellington responds in kind with playing with fire on the uptempo numbers (one can see where Monk was influenced by the Duke) and with beautiful subtleness on the ballads. The three play off each other as if the had been a combo for years.

All in all, this would have to be one of my 10 favorite jazz disks, and one that I will recommend without hesitation.

Let me start by saying I am not a big fan of Duke Ellington. I have loads of respect for the man, but I am not enthusiastic about big band jazz. I find a lot of his performances, big band and otherwise, to be very dry and uninspired. From the moment I put this record on it was obvious that this was something different. Like most projects involving Mingus, the bass is extremely dominant on this recording. The rhythms on this album are very unique, not only for Duke Ellington, but for the era.

This album is slightly deceiving in a way. It often has light, airy melodies, but are countered by heavy, intricate bass lines or spurts of heavy chords on the piano. Each track contains several different moods and ideas. The compositions are very complex and yet do not, on the surface, appear to be. Duke Ellington is a phenomenal player, and his ability really comes through on this recording. Combined with Charles Mingus and Max Roach, the trio is infallible. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that this is my favorite recording Ellington has ever done.

If people with ears took a blindfold test,would they give this 5 stars not knowing the players.Mingus is overplaying while
Max is stuck playing broken time.
Miles also thought this record at the time was a joke.

I won't go into depth on this amazing record--'cuz I ain't that deep! An amazing album, the one that really got me into jazz. I originally had it on vinyl, and the record has an unbelievable sense of drama and pace as it goes from song to song. This older, original CD release always annoyed me because the tracks are in the order they were recorded at the sessions, in order to preserve the "historical value". Well, that is really dumb. That is like putting out a version of a movie in the order they shot it day by day, rather than the final assembled version that hits the screen. On Money Jungle version 1, each song is great, but the old CD lost the power of the sequencing. I used to reprogram the order on my CD player to get it right--but what a pain! They should have released it in the proper, final sequence, then told you what order to program it in if (for some bizarre reason) you wanted to hear it in the "historical" sequencing. Isn't it just as "historical" to release it in the order that Messrs. Ellington et. al. thought it should go in? I've just never seen a packaging move that was so stupid--especially coming from a label like Blue Note, one of the great prestige labels.Fortunately, I just noticed there is a newer REMASTERED version that is in the proper order and with some xtra cuts. So it is off to one-click that baby and trade the old one in! Seriously folks, a truly amazing, far-out, gorgeous album by three serious cats. Get it, daddy-o!

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this album. Ellington's compositions are brilliant as always, and his playing is deliciously tasteful while managing at the same time to be intriguingly left of center. Max Roach's drumming is powerful and funky, proving once again that nobody swings harder.
The one that really disappointed me was Mingus, which is tragic because he is among my absolute favorite musicians. His tone is harsh and trebly, which isn't helped by the odd riffs and fills he plays that sound more like rasping sound effects than a harmonic foundation.
The whole recording just sounds slightly off. The rhythms never lock up. The improvisations go to interesting places, but they do so without the professionalism that should be expected of such top-notch performers.

So many times in the history of music, there have been summits where musical heavyweights are brought together on a promising project that ends up falling short of it's promise. Not the case here by a long shot!

Jazz fans do not need any introduction to the staggering acheivements of these three titans of Piano, Composition, Bass and Drums. All three bring their full talents to this project. Mingus and Roach do not merely support Ellington, they push him and battle him. Ellington responds in kind with playing with fire on the uptempo numbers (one can see where Monk was influenced by the Duke) and with beautiful subtleness on the ballads. The three play off each other as if the had been a combo for years.

All in all, this would have to be one of my 10 favorite jazz disks, and one that I will recommend without hesitation.

Let me start by saying I am not a big fan of Duke Ellington. I have loads of respect for the man, but I am not enthusiastic about big band jazz. I find a lot of his performances, big band and otherwise, to be very dry and uninspired. From the moment I put this record on it was obvious that this was something different. Like most projects involving Mingus, the bass is extremely dominant on this recording. The rhythms on this album are very unique, not only for Duke Ellington, but for the era.

This album is slightly deceiving in a way. It often has light, airy melodies, but are countered by heavy, intricate bass lines or spurts of heavy chords on the piano. Each track contains several different moods and ideas. The compositions are very complex and yet do not, on the surface, appear to be. Duke Ellington is a phenomenal player, and his ability really comes through on this recording. Combined with Charles Mingus and Max Roach, the trio is infallible. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that this is my favorite recording Ellington has ever done.

If people with ears took a blindfold test,would they give this 5 stars not knowing the players.Mingus is overplaying while
Max is stuck playing broken time.
Miles also thought this record at the time was a joke.

I won't go into depth on this amazing record--'cuz I ain't that deep! An amazing album, the one that really got me into jazz. I originally had it on vinyl, and the record has an unbelievable sense of drama and pace as it goes from song to song. This older, original CD release always annoyed me because the tracks are in the order they were recorded at the sessions, in order to preserve the "historical value". Well, that is really dumb. That is like putting out a version of a movie in the order they shot it day by day, rather than the final assembled version that hits the screen. On Money Jungle version 1, each song is great, but the old CD lost the power of the sequencing. I used to reprogram the order on my CD player to get it right--but what a pain! They should have released it in the proper, final sequence, then told you what order to program it in if (for some bizarre reason) you wanted to hear it in the "historical" sequencing. Isn't it just as "historical" to release it in the order that Messrs. Ellington et. al. thought it should go in? I've just never seen a packaging move that was so stupid--especially coming from a label like Blue Note, one of the great prestige labels.Fortunately, I just noticed there is a newer REMASTERED version that is in the proper order and with some xtra cuts. So it is off to one-click that baby and trade the old one in! Seriously folks, a truly amazing, far-out, gorgeous album by three serious cats. Get it, daddy-o!

La chiamavano estate, ma non era quella dolceamara che Bruno Martino e Franco Califano portavano in giro per l'Italia nel `65. Era la caldazza micidiale sulle spalle di Felice Gimondi, mentre saliva le rampe del Mont Ventoux per difendere la sua prima maglia gialla. Era il caldo torrido di Monterey, quando Charlie Mingus mandò a cagare Jimmy Lyons e scese dal palco, lasciando il pubblico sotto il sole a cantare. Ma Charles Mingus, direbbe il mio amico Massimo (un lumbard che ama il jazz perché vi legge stimoli di lotta e di identità), ce l'aveva duro. Se ne andò all'UCLA e dopo una settimana registrò uno dei migliori concerti della storia del jazz: America, sudore, esotismo, rabbia, follia. Questo era Charles Mingus. Di quella registrazione stampò 200 dischi, per anni introvabili. Poi vennero "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady", le note di copertina del suo psicanalista e tutto il resto. Ma la magia di quel concerto resta ineguagliabile. La vera novità di questa estate. Il disco che ce la fa odiare un po' meno.

if only for the fantastic previews of material that would later be re-recorded for the epochal Let My Children Hear Music. based on what one hears on this recording, the extent of Sy Johnson's role on the later date seems to be called into question (at least to this humble listener). great variation on Meditations to boot...

"Mingus at UCLA 1965" is a remarkable document, possibly the most important music release of 2006, providing your criteria extend beyond mere audio quality and musical precision. This was not a concert but a Mingus "workshop," as he insisted on calling such affairs. Mingus wanted the audience to experience the creative process as much as the product. Consequently, to the extent that the recording omits visual information relevant to that process the accompanying notes in the form of Sue Mingus' elegant prose are arguably integral with the music on the two discs.

Mingus had planned to premiere a large body of compositions at the September 1965 Monterey Festival, but his time on stage was limited to under thirty minutes, precluding the performance of most of the new material. A week later, the bassist-leader and his ensemble would perform the complete concert at UCLA. Subsequently, Mingus would obtain the tape made by amateur UCLA sound technicians and press a mere 200 double-LP sets for sale on his own mail-order label. The music has not been released on CD until now.

The listener can't help but notice that Mingus is surprisingly sensitive to his youthful student audience, at one point catching and practically reprimanding himself for using the word "hell" in their presence. It's true that following two false starts on one of the compositions ("Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America"), he first berates his musicians (the most humorous moment on the recording), then dismisses half the band for their "mental tardiness," sentencing them backstage to get their act together. But the temperamental leader evidences an equal amount of love and respect for his musicians during the program.

As for the music itself, start with Mingus' choice of the instrumentation for his octet. It could be argued that the three trumpet players get in each other's way and, furthermore, do not serve to strengthen the textures of Mingus' bass-led harmonic progressions. Perhaps Julius Watkins' French horn was chosen to cover some of the registers normally assigned to Jimmy Knepper's trombone as well as to afford opportunities for satiric commentary (given the instrument's iconic association with "legit" music). At least the inclusion of Howard Johnson's tuba makes eminent sense, not only because of its undeniable contribution to the Dixieland number ("Muskrat Ramble") but because it permits Mingus to switch to piano without any drop-out in the bass part.

Although it's clear that Mingus isn't happy with the music until the second half, the present listener may have a preference for the music on the first disc, in part because of its superior audio quality. The opening composition, "Meditation On Inner Peace," is a stunning invitation, featuring the leader playing a rich bowed solo in the cello register over an unabated drone tone supplied by tuba. Gradually the mournful musical prayer acquires intensity as the other players make their individual contributions to the surging layered threnody, which reaches a sonic and emotional climax with the addition of drummer Dannie Richmond's percussive thunder.

Despite considerable distortion on the CD, the audience is clearly impressed by trumpeter Hobart Dotson's soloing leading off the second half, and Mingus is so unmistakably pleased that he expresses regret the band did not start there, proclaiming "everything is fine now." The ensemble remains in Mingus's good graces thoughout the third, primarily successful, attempt to perform "Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called America," during which Mingus is at his manic best, hollering to his old pal, Dannie Richmond, "Love, Dee. It's you and me." Soon the joyous leader is singing along with the music in a piercing falsetto, perhaps to feed the musicians their parts but more likely to express his irrepressible ecstasy over its successful realization. Unfortunately, the singing adds to the considerable audio distortion, directing attention away from the music itself to its effect on its creator.

Some listeners will no doubt dismiss this latest Mingus entry as marginally listenable music obviously recorded by non-professional technicians--perhaps an understandable reaction. But to the extent that Mingus' name and mystique extend beyond his music, continuing to attract and fascinate new listeners, this recording of the enigmatic, volatile composer's UCLA performance could be regarded as an indispensable "document," filling in another piece of the puzzle that is the artist while providing privileged insights into the creative process itself. Altoist Charles McPherson is quoted as saying that learning the music was especially trying as the composer not only denied the musicians written parts but changed his mind every day. Mingus represents not merely the burden of artistic genius but the composing process in each of us writ large. Far from being a megalomaniac or fixed ego, he's the insecure child persistently, valiantly, heroically working to assemble a genuine human identity, which for any of us must necessarily be a work in process. Or, as his widow Sue quotes him, "I'm trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it's difficult is because I'm changing all the time."

Last week was the 40th anniversary of a seminal event in jazz history. On September 25, 1965, composer/bassist/pianist Charles Mingus and his octet lumbered into a small auditorium on the UCLA campus to perform one of the open workshops Mingus became famous for. It was an event that allowed a select audience to watch a jazz master at work, struggling to make sense of the music in his head and lay a foundation for his group to interpret that music.

Charles Mingus At UCLA 1965 is a no holds barred, unapologetic look at Mingus' genius; the frustration, anger and ultimate exaltation he felt while his music took shape. Originally released as an LP in 1967, Mingus was only able to press 200 of the double album set before running out of money. A few years later, Mingus discovered the masters had been destroyed when Capitol Records cleaned out their vaults. This CD set, put out by Mingus' widow on her Sue Mingus Music label, is a testament to the contentious style her husband employed to re-create the art that burnished his soul.

To say this album is brilliant doesn't do it justice. There aren't enough superlatives in the English language to describe the effect this album will have on any Mingus or jazz aficionado. Mingus' sterling backup band on this album includes Hobart Dotson on and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpets; Jimmy Owens on flugelhorn and trumpet, Charles McPherson on alto saxophone, Julius Watkins on French horn, Howard Johnson on tuba, and Dannie Richmond on drums are all impeccable, even though after a few false starts on "Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America" Mingus dismisses Dotson, Owens, Watkins and Johnson "to the back room to figure this thing out." It's not malicious--some of the compositions were so raw at the time of this concert its surprising there weren't more false starts then there were. Although some may not appreciate the rough edginess of the songs Mingus workshops, these unpolished gems give listeners the opportunity to explore with Mingus as the compositions ascend from drafts to a final product that has Mingus shouting in joyful acknowledgement of completion. It's a searing experience.

As a quartet, Mingus, Hillyer, McPherson and Richmond do a shattering version of "Ode To Bird and Dizzy", and the full octet shines on "They Trespass the Land of the Sacred Sioux", "The Arts of Tatum and Freddy Webster", "Muskrat Ramble", and "Don't Be Afraid, the Clown's Afraid Too". The album ends with "Don't Let It Happen Here", a Mingus poem which is a vanguard in response to current political turmoil.

Charles Mingus was years ahead of his time, constantly pushing the boundaries of jazz to its furthest extremes. Nearly thirty years after his death, musicians are still untangling Mingus' complex compositions, adding their own bents to his musical vision. The re-released document of the 1965 UCLA workshop further enhances Mingus' vision and will keep new composers busy for a long time trying to capture his magic in their own work.

We should all thank Sue Mingus for releasing the gems from the Mingus vault, and this one is a keeper. I gather from the chat that Mingus had been scheduled top play at the Moneterey Festival, but that his set got cut short. So he unrolls the whole thing here at UCLA. As always with Mingus there is a political and social subtext to the performance and in this case that reaches a very poignant peak with the closing "Don't Let It Happen Here." Before you get there though, and particularly on the first disc, there is a wild ride that seems completely out of control. You have Mingus introducing and backing up on comments as he goes along, there are false starts and deconstructed endings that leave you wondering what in the name of whoever is going on. The music is complex and difficult, and yet in the midst of whatever cataclysm is busrting, somehow the blues or swing breakout. It is an unbelievable ride. The focus increases on the second disc, but make no mistake about it, the compositions freely swing from free cacaphony to brilliant standard big band with a restless energy that gathers you in.
This aint your Grandad's big band.
As I said, we owe Sue Mingus a huge debt of gratitude. Mingus was one of a kind, and especially live, as his enthusiastic howls in the course of "Once Upon a Time..." demonstrate. This is bold, adventurous and as out there as Miles, Trane and the Ornette from this volatile period.

This is one of Costello's more unique recordings. Perhaps it will grow on me with repeated listenings as has happened recently with 'All This Useless Beauty'. That said, 'My Flame Burns Blue' has proved a challenging listen early on.

Some of my problem with 'Flame' is simply song preference. There are several selections that are among my least favorite Costello songs: 'Clubland', 'Almost Blue' and '...Forbidden Playthings' among them. YECCHH!

The good stuff.....The energized version of 'That's How You Got Killed Before' is a revelation, but nothing else quite approaches that level. 'God Give Me Strength' is pretty faithful to the studio version on 'Painted From Memory' and is sturdy if not spectacular. 'Favourite Hour', 'Almost Ideal Eyes' and 'Episode of Blonde' come off solidly. The version of 'Watching the Detectives' here will likely either amuse or repulse.

Declan is nothing if not experimental. He's certainly that on 'Flame'.

I have not been able to get this cd off my player. I hum themes from it constantly.
I Want More.
Anyone who wonders about the amount of production that goes into an Elvis Costello rock record will be astounded by the writing here, the thought, the musicality, and the professionalism of a full-time orchestra that swings. I don't mean that stilted Boston Pops crap, but real honest-to-God chops!
The sound clips here don't do this record justice.
This is absolutely one of his very best recordings and I urge everyone to go out and buy it! You won't be disappointed.

My love & admiration for the work of Vince Mendoza, and my search for projects he's been involved with have led me in many different directions. Apart from some obvious places like Mendoza's own albums (some of which have been very hard to come by) and albums by the likes of John Abercrombie and Peter Erskine, they've also led me to people I would never have thought of on my own; people like Jane Monheit, Joni Mitchell, Stefano di Battista and Yuri Honing.

But although I'd heard of him, I never in a million years thought this search would lead me to Elvis Costello. I consider my musical tastes to be very eclectic but still, I would never have thought that I'd enjoy listening to an Elvis Costello CD, much less that I would actually own one.

But here we are. This CD of 14 very interesting songs sang in the jazz tradition, was recorded live at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2004. Costello is backed by the Metropole Orkest (also known as the Metropole Orchestra), conducted by Vince Mendoza. Mendoza also arranges "That's How You Got Killed Before", "Episode of Blonde" and the title track, which is only 3 of the 14 songs but it's good enough for me. Interestingly, certainly for me, Bill Frisell & Willem Friede also arrange a song here - "Upon A Veil of Midnight Blue".

Costello is no Tony Bennett but he handles the songs with great charm and feeling. This is a singer who believes what he sings and as the listener, I in turn believe him. As I fully expected, the orchestration is sublime and there are some great trumpet, sax, guitar and cello solos. I enjoy the performance just as much as the applauding audience seems to and the more I listen to this CD, the more I find that surprising. Elvis Costello. Who would've thought? Definitely not me. So does this mean I might go on to buy more Elvis Costello CDs? It's difficult to say but it's certainly more likely now than it was before.

The very generous Bonus CD has another 18 songs, excerpts from Costello's Ballet after Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I'm not a Shakespeare fan, a fan of the ballet or a classical music fan per se, but I do enjoy listening to this. Maybe it's because it features people whose work I've become very familiar with over the years. People like Peter Erskine on the drums, John Harle on saxophone, Chris Laurence on double bass, all backed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

All said and done, this is a wonderful CD full of rich and very rewarding music. I'm so glad I bought it.

Long live Elvis Costello! Long live Vince Mendoza!

Elvis as a crooner? Oh yes. He pulls it off. I saw the tour for this release at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta. It only supported my faith in this album. I am up for anything different and when I heard of this I couldn't resist. It holds up.
"HORA DECUBITIS" & "GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH" are the openers and closers for this disc. They are the 2 standouts on the disc and let me tell you, all else in between makes the perfect sandwich. You chew, disolve and are left with a pleasant taste in your mouth.
When I saw Costello perform in Atlanta, I was blown away by his voice. He came out for an encore and didn't even use a mic. He gave an incredible performance, and he did the same for this CD performance at NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL.
All in all, if you are a fan, or a newcomer, this man does not dissapoint on this. Costello is all over the place in the musical circles, but he remains stedfast on this release. He delivers!

Never an artist that can be labelled,EC's life as an expression of the music he makes is royally showcased here in the myriad of styles presented on this very interesting CD presenting so many shades of great music eras GONE BY BUT NOT FORGOTTEN that makes Elvis not only a very interesting musician but a historical personality that leaves the imprint of a man living life to its max.
I have been fortunate to listen to the man from "My Aim Is True" saw the original Attractions more than once, and like him can identify with his changes of tastes recognizing great music for what it is despite the chronology.
For starters, reworking his songs to fit at times Latin tinged,jazzy,classical,Sinatra Bacharach, countryish arrangements and balladry remains bold considering his penchant for his songwriters style as showcased on the rocking sophistry of "Trust" albums like 'Almost Blue"(country),homage to great songwriters (Painted From Memory) even his own development as a mature songwriter (Imperial Bedroom)avant garde classical(Juliet Letters)with his later work & experiments fusing that manic angry young rock and roller of the past nodding to his old Motown love(Get Happy),with the likes of Allen Toussaint in the homage to New Orleans(The River In Reverse)what came before New Orleans was this fine sounding CD paying it's due to great music in all it's manifold stripes with passion and excitement Ala Charles Mingus to the regal elegance of Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn.
Even the CD cover harkens back to Duke's Anatomy Of Murder(Ellington's foray into movie soundtrack), and the presented music with this jazz classical orchestra is something only a Charles Mingus was capable off so highly reminiscent of Mingus is Costello at times that it is refreshing.
An additional nod to Duke in his Shakespearean jaunts through his "Such Sweet Thunder" and major works such as "Black,Brown @ Beige" is apparent in EC as is his general appreciation of these great American jazz and big band artists in his unmistakable UK sublteties.
Such is the case of the bonus CD "Il Sogno" Suite, resembling again Duke's "Such Sweet Thunder" in theme but is pretty classical.
If any comparison can be made ,what comes to my mind stylistically and thematically are Joe Jackson albums notably(The album duplicating that early Sonny Rollins album cover) 'Body&Soul' pretty sophisticated stuff for the time,and Jackson's reworking of swing and big band for a young unsophisticated punk rock audience of the day with "Jumpin Jive".
New Orleans Dr.John the night tripper, whose involvment with great cover albums and homages to Ellington and Toussaint comes to mind as well.
EC made the grade with this one and is in good company.
I would love to hear EC do a Count Basie album with some Satchmo and King Oliver thrown in for good measure.

Many are extended far beyond 3 minutes. 6,7,8,9,10,11,13,19 minutes.
Comes in at under 14 cents per track, if you shop. Wow!
Jazz!
Thank goodness for different copyright expiration laws in Europe.

If you know Germany's Membran-Documents label and their 10-disc box sets of public domain recordings, this is one of them.

Charles Mingus - Mysterious Blues [Wallet Box]
Label: DOCUMENTS

Track Title Duration

CD 1
1. (Jubilee) Hallelujah 3:54
2. All the Things You Are 8:11
3. Ghost of a Chance 3:09
4. Move 2:37
5. Stormy Weather 13:23
6. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart 3:27
7. Lyon's Roar 2:35
8. Merle's Mood 2:56
9. Minor Intrusion 10:11
10. This Subdues My Passion 2:50

CD 2
1. Medley [You Go to My Head] 2:43
2. A Night in Tunisia 7:53
3. Baby, Take a Chance with Me 2:50
4. Pennies from Heaven 2:24
5. Spur of the Moment 8:28
6. What Love? 15:22
7. Honey, Take a Chance with Me 3:14
8. I've Got You under My Skin 2:24
9. Thrice upon a Theme 6:39
10. Time and Tide 2:31

CD 3
1. Bass-ically Speaking 4:00
2. Cheek to Cheek 2:41
3. Four Hands 8:43
4. Cherokee 4:50
5. I'm Yours 4:03
6. Mysterious Blues 8:42
7. These Foolish Things 3:16
8. Too Marvelous for Words 3:35
9. Thrice upon a Theme 6:30

CD 4
1. Hot House 9:28
2. I Get a Kick out of You 2:26
3. I've Got You under My Skin 3:19
4. If I Had You 4:08
5. Lock' Em up 6:46
6. Night and Day 4:08
7. Perdido 7:54
8. Say it Isn't So 2:39
9. Weird Nightmare 3:03
10. Make Believe 2:42
11. Mingus Fingers 2:57

CD 5
1. Lullaby of Birdland 2:33
2. Me and You Blues 9:51
3. Memories of You 3:12
4. Bedspread 3:04
5. Coffee Pot 4:07
6. Godchild 4:10
7. Precognition 2:45
8. Reincarnation of a Lovebird 9:12
9. Shuffle Bass Boogie 2:54
10. Original Faubus Fables 9:14

CD 6
1. Polka Dots and Moonbeams 4:03
2. Salt Peanuts 7:50
3. Stormy Weather 3:16
4. Body and Soul 10:45
5. Can You Blame Me 2:50
6. Extrasensory Perception 2:50
7. September Song 3:31
8. This Can't Be Love 2:26
9. Wee 6:54
10. Montage 2:53
11. Old Devil Moon 3:49

CD 7
1. Sure Thing 2:09
2. What Is this Thing Called Love? 8:06
3. What's this 2:38
4. Boppin' in Boston 2:51
5. Bottoms up 2:57
6. Four Hands 8:49
7. Jay 3:40
8. Old Folks 3:36
9. Portrait (Take 1) 3:13
10. M D M (Monk, Duke & Me) 19:14

CD 8
1. Abstractions 4:13
2. Embraceable You 4:22
3. Minor Intrusion 10:03
4. Cherokee 4:51
5. Embraceable You 4:20
6. He's Gone 3:30
7. Have You Met Miss Jones? 3:00
8. I Remember You 3:04
9. Jubilee 3:54
10. Paris in Blue 3:14
11. Pipe Dream 3:13

CD 9
1. Ain't Jivin' Blues 2:54
2. All the Things You Could Be by Now If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother 8:35
3. I'll Remember April 3:20
4. Drum Conversation 4:19
5. It's You or No One 4:05
6. Little White Lies 3:46
7. Story of Love 2:52
8. Sure Thing 2:11
9. What Is this Thing Called Love? 7:58
10. Vassarlean 6:35

CD 10
1. The Spur of The Moment / Echonitus 8:36
2. Time after Time 4:11
3. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams 3:48
4. Folk Forms No. 1 13:04
5. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me 2:53
6. Lullaby of Birdland 2:34
7. R And R 11:50
8. Swedish Pastry 2:27
9. Untitled Blues 2:35

Wondering why you get 10 CDs for 17 bucks? Because this product is pure junk--the kind of rip-off music that reputable vendors should steer clear of.

Despite it's title and the tracks listed on the Amazon page, this boxed set does not contain the album, "Mysterious Blues." This 10-CD set is a monaural hodge-podge of unidentified tracks supposedly recorded by Mingus, though you can't be sure. There is not a single word of text accompanying the CDs. There's no way to tell where these tunes come from, when they were recorded, or who plays them. And it's doubtful that this set was authorized by Sue Mingus.

If you want genuine Mingus, buy a known entity.

Many are extended far beyond 3 minutes. 6,7,8,9,10,11,13,19 minutes.
Comes in at under 14 cents per track, if you shop. Wow!
Jazz!
Thank goodness for different copyright expiration laws in Europe.

If you know Germany's Membran-Documents label and their 10-disc box sets of public domain recordings, this is one of them.

Charles Mingus - Mysterious Blues [Wallet Box]
Label: DOCUMENTS

Track Title Duration

CD 1
1. (Jubilee) Hallelujah 3:54
2. All the Things You Are 8:11
3. Ghost of a Chance 3:09
4. Move 2:37
5. Stormy Weather 13:23
6. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart 3:27
7. Lyon's Roar 2:35
8. Merle's Mood 2:56
9. Minor Intrusion 10:11
10. This Subdues My Passion 2:50

CD 2
1. Medley [You Go to My Head] 2:43
2. A Night in Tunisia 7:53
3. Baby, Take a Chance with Me 2:50
4. Pennies from Heaven 2:24
5. Spur of the Moment 8:28
6. What Love? 15:22
7. Honey, Take a Chance with Me 3:14
8. I've Got You under My Skin 2:24
9. Thrice upon a Theme 6:39
10. Time and Tide 2:31

CD 3
1. Bass-ically Speaking 4:00
2. Cheek to Cheek 2:41
3. Four Hands 8:43
4. Cherokee 4:50
5. I'm Yours 4:03
6. Mysterious Blues 8:42
7. These Foolish Things 3:16
8. Too Marvelous for Words 3:35
9. Thrice upon a Theme 6:30

CD 4
1. Hot House 9:28
2. I Get a Kick out of You 2:26
3. I've Got You under My Skin 3:19
4. If I Had You 4:08
5. Lock' Em up 6:46
6. Night and Day 4:08
7. Perdido 7:54
8. Say it Isn't So 2:39
9. Weird Nightmare 3:03
10. Make Believe 2:42
11. Mingus Fingers 2:57

CD 5
1. Lullaby of Birdland 2:33
2. Me and You Blues 9:51
3. Memories of You 3:12
4. Bedspread 3:04
5. Coffee Pot 4:07
6. Godchild 4:10
7. Precognition 2:45
8. Reincarnation of a Lovebird 9:12
9. Shuffle Bass Boogie 2:54
10. Original Faubus Fables 9:14

CD 6
1. Polka Dots and Moonbeams 4:03
2. Salt Peanuts 7:50
3. Stormy Weather 3:16
4. Body and Soul 10:45
5. Can You Blame Me 2:50
6. Extrasensory Perception 2:50
7. September Song 3:31
8. This Can't Be Love 2:26
9. Wee 6:54
10. Montage 2:53
11. Old Devil Moon 3:49

CD 7
1. Sure Thing 2:09
2. What Is this Thing Called Love? 8:06
3. What's this 2:38
4. Boppin' in Boston 2:51
5. Bottoms up 2:57
6. Four Hands 8:49
7. Jay 3:40
8. Old Folks 3:36
9. Portrait (Take 1) 3:13
10. M D M (Monk, Duke & Me) 19:14

CD 8
1. Abstractions 4:13
2. Embraceable You 4:22
3. Minor Intrusion 10:03
4. Cherokee 4:51
5. Embraceable You 4:20
6. He's Gone 3:30
7. Have You Met Miss Jones? 3:00
8. I Remember You 3:04
9. Jubilee 3:54
10. Paris in Blue 3:14
11. Pipe Dream 3:13

CD 9
1. Ain't Jivin' Blues 2:54
2. All the Things You Could Be by Now If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother 8:35
3. I'll Remember April 3:20
4. Drum Conversation 4:19
5. It's You or No One 4:05
6. Little White Lies 3:46
7. Story of Love 2:52
8. Sure Thing 2:11
9. What Is this Thing Called Love? 7:58
10. Vassarlean 6:35

CD 10
1. The Spur of The Moment / Echonitus 8:36
2. Time after Time 4:11
3. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams 3:48
4. Folk Forms No. 1 13:04
5. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me 2:53
6. Lullaby of Birdland 2:34
7. R And R 11:50
8. Swedish Pastry 2:27
9. Untitled Blues 2:35

Wondering why you get 10 CDs for 17 bucks? Because this product is pure junk--the kind of rip-off music that reputable vendors should steer clear of.

Despite it's title and the tracks listed on the Amazon page, this boxed set does not contain the album, "Mysterious Blues." This 10-CD set is a monaural hodge-podge of unidentified tracks supposedly recorded by Mingus, though you can't be sure. There is not a single word of text accompanying the CDs. There's no way to tell where these tunes come from, when they were recorded, or who plays them. And it's doubtful that this set was authorized by Sue Mingus.

If you want genuine Mingus, buy a known entity.