Mingus at Antibes [Import]

Mingus at Antibes [Import]

ASIN: B0007KVDHC

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Warner UK 2005 remastered reissue in a digipak. An awe-inspiring live performance recorded at the 1960 Antibes Jazz Festival. Features special guest artist Bud Powell.

Tracks:

Opening Speech
Meditation On Inner Peace
Speech Introducing Musicians
Meditation On Inner Peace
Speech
Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America (First False Start)
Lecture To Band
Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America (2nd False Start) Piano Example. Expels Large Group From Band For Mental Tardiness
Ode To Bird And Dizzy (Quartet)
Speech: Call Octet Back
They Trespass The Land Of THe Sacred Sioux

Tracks:

Speech: Introduction To Hobart Dotson-The Arts Of Tatum And Freddy Webster
Speech
Once Upon A Time, There Was A Holding Corporation Called Old America
Speech To Lonnie Hillyer
Muskrat Ramble
Pause
Don't Be Afraid, The Clown's Afraid Too
Don't Let It Happen Here

Amazon.com

The appropriately unwieldy full title of this fascinating but rough and far from ready document, Music Written for Monterey, 1965 Not Heard... Played in its Entirety, at UCLA, refers back to Charles Mingus being given only 30 minutes at the Monterey festival to showcase his brassy new octet and new compositions. Not to be denied, the legendary bassist and composer recorded a subsequent performance at UCLA by the same band (including tuba and French horn players, three trumpeters including the remarkable, infrequently heard Sun Ra veteran Hobart Dotson and alto saxophonist Charles McPherson) and put it out as a double album himself--or sort of put it out. Only about 200 copies saw the light of mail-order-only release. In 1984, it received a more respectable but still limited vinyl release. Now, issued as a two-disc set on the imprint of his widow, Sue Mingus, it's back in all its ragged glory for all to hear, complete with false starts and utterances and asides by the leader. The music ranges from epic spiritual meditations to angular bebop treatments, touched by politics and the spirit of free jazz (at times, McPherson's sound reflects "new thing" master Ornette Coleman's). With Mingus struggling to keep everyone on the same page, if not the same stage--at one point, he orders the brass players off to rehearse--the music struggles for momentum. But when it sticks, grounded by his magnetic, reverberent bass, its blend of earthiness, tunefulness, and elliptical power is the stuff of genius. --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews:

essential.......2007-02-18

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...

Out of chaos, a cohesive statement.......2006-10-12

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.

Beyond superlatives.......2006-09-30

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.

Uneven music and recording, fascinating journey into the creative process of an American genius........2006-09-26

"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."

Average customer rating:

greatest album ever
Fierce live album.
OTHERWORLDLY
Atonal
Fight with Charles

Mingus at Antibes
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000008BRQ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
Prayer For Passive Resistance
What Love?
I'll Remember April
Folk Forms
Better Git Hit In Your Soul

Amazon.com essential recording

The fleet group that Charles Mingus brought to the Antibes jazz festival in 1960 was likely the most powerful group, pound-for-pound, that the bassist ever led. The front line was comprised of trumpeter Ted Curson, alto saxophonist Eric Dolphy, and, for this stint, tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin. Without a piano for most of this Antibes concert, the band relied on a combustion that Mingus created with his antiphonal compositions and a gospel bent. Dolphy, Curson, and Ervin sound jubilant on "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" and then full of longing on "Prayer for Passive Resistance." But it's on "Folk Forms I" that you hear how much leap the group has without a formal harmonic anchor. Mingus chugs along, using his lowest-end bustle as a backbone for rhythmic variations across the top. As usual, drummer Dannie Richmond cracks the percussion with speed-shifting exactness. As if that all weren't enough, one of bebop's quirkier architects, Bud Powell, joins the band for a touching read of "I'll Remember April." --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

greatest album ever.......2005-11-02

This has got to be one of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded, jazz, rock, classical whatever. I have had it since I was in high school in the 1980s and I have never stopped listening to it and it never fails to completely sweep me off my feet and knock the wind out of me.

Fierce live album........2005-07-23

In 1960, Charles Mingus began experimenting with pianoles groups. This live performance, from the summer of 1960, finds Mingus accompanied by two reeds (Eric Dolphy on alto, Booker Ervin on tenor), one trumpet (Ted Curson) and his usual rhythm section partner in drummer Dannie Richmond. It was often felt that the lack of piano allowed the rest of the band to really cut loose. In this case, its certainly true.

Mingus' frontline wastes no time going on a tear, with stunning solos by Ervin ("Prayer for Passive Resistence"), Curson ("Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting") and Dolphy (just about everything) as each tune ends up becoming extended during long improvs. What's amazing is that even material I consider to be somewhat less interestng ("Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" always sounded like a weak version of "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" to me) catches fire with Curson's fluid and agile solo setting the stage for jaw-dropping soloing from Dolphy who just really cuts loose (Dolphy was several months away from participating in Ornette Coleman's "Free Jazz"-- its really quite no wonder he participated in that session, given his fierce soloing here). And while "What Love" would receive a better reading (remarkably in the studio on "Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus") just a few months later, it certainly is a treat to hear Mingus and Dolphy dueling on bass and bass clarinet.

And speaking of treats, the band is joined by piano legend Bud Powell for a lovely take through "I'll Remember April" that if the rest of the record wasn't enough would certainly make this worth investigation.

In all, one of the really great live Mingus recordings. Highly recommended.

OTHERWORLDLY.......2002-12-23

Where to start? Listening to this album, I wonder if I would have been able to prevent myself from fainting had I been present at Juan les Pins seeing Mingus live. You see, the urgency, the virtuosity, the volatile elements that Mingus so effortlessly combines here make for some intense and challenging listening. And, when I say virtuosity, I mean it in both ways - individually and collectively. Every musician here is a master of his instrument, yet the almost telepathic communication between them is nothing short of miraculous. On "Better Git Hit in your soul", the band shifts tempos, meters and feels, and sections where the clapping of the band members is the only accompaniment, while the soloists soar in the stratosphere. The effect on me is incredible, even physical - I have stopped breathing sometimes! I wonder if Dolphy is even human. His playing here is pure fire, an incessant barrage of sound that never sounds repetitive and ignites the band to indescribable heights. Yet, he can also be pensive without losing his edge, as he does in "What Love?" - his trialogue with Mingus and Danny must be heard to be believed. Bass and bass clarinet dancing together like a choreographed couple, yet it is improvised. I don't want to ramble on. Just get this if you like Jazz or just creative music by creative musicians. You will be challenged. You will be moved. You will be swept off your feet. You will be different.

Atonal.......2002-12-16

Forget about harmony, forget about rhythem. Some of Antibes hangs together quite well but much of it walks on the dark side of free jazz. Get "Blues and Roots" if you want to hear something that was made with care -- the musical ideas, while similar, are executed better.

Fight with Charles.......2002-08-09

Mingus to this day remains an enigma and a challenge, and this live performance is typical. Startling, mind-bending music, way ahead of its time and still fresh today. Smack in the middle of the experiment is the legendary pianist Bud Powell, in great form, but completely out of place amidst the chaos, with a fine rendition of "I'll Remember April". (Contrary to the legend, Powell did not storm off the stage)

Average customer rating:

Can't go wrong with the tunes or the group
Outstanding!

Live in Tokyo at the Blue Note
Mingus Big Band
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ASIN: B000HIVQIA
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

Wham Bam
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Celia
Bird Calls
Meditations
Prayer For Passive Resistance
Free Cell Block F
Ecclusiastics

Customer Reviews:

Can't go wrong with the tunes or the group.......2007-01-15

Based out of New York City and boasting some of the city's finest musicians, the Mingus Big Band is one of four ensembles (the others being the Mingus Dynasty, Mingus Orchestra, and Epitaph Orchestra) dedicated to its namesake's music.
"Live in Tokyo" features new arrangements of eight classic Mingus compositions which span three decades and are delivered with gusto and nuance by the fourteen-members of the MBB.
Half of the tunes are culled from the `50s. "Bird Calls," is Mingus' tribute to Charlie Parker and the gorgeous ballad "Celia," features Craig Handy as the lone soloist.
"Meditations" and "Ecclusiastics" were both composed in the `60s with the latter including trombonist Ku-Umba Frank Lacy fervently preaching from the pulpit of the blues.
The program is rounded out with "Opus Four" and "Free Cell Block F," two gems from the `70s, the latter of which was first performed by Mingus' last great quintet which included saxophonist George Adams and Don Pullen. Originally appearing on the album "Changes Two" with the expanded moniker of "Free Cell Block F, Tiz Nazi U.S.A.," the tunes' breezy theme belies its deadly-serious title and provides an excellent backdrop for inspired solos by Handy on flute, Conrad Herwig and Lacy on trombone, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax.

Outstanding!.......2006-09-30

In December of 1976, Charles Mingus and his quintet performed a series of concerts in Tokyo playing a stripped down version of big band arrangements by Mingus, and of those he admired. Thirty years later, the fourteen piece band that keeps the Mingus name as a legacy performed in Tokyo, playing fully orchestrated versions of the songs Mingus' quintet offered Japanese audiences a generation beforehand. Live In Tokyo is a document of this return engagement.

This is an amazing album. From the opening notes of "Wham Bam", to the final moments of "Ecclusiastics", The Mingus Big Band swings and sways through these songs like a typhoon of exalted joy blowing the roof off the famous Blue Note Club. The band is a Who's Who of jazz performers, featuring Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath, and Alex Sipiagin on trumpets, Abe Burton, Craig Handy, Wayne Escoffery, Seamus Blake, and Ronnie Cuber on saxophones, Ku-umba Frank Lacy, Conrad Herwig, and Earl McIntyre on trombones and tuba, Dave Kikowski on piano, Kenny Davis on bass and Jonathan Blake on drums. Big band enthusiasts will find themselves exhausted by the extremely powerful horn arrangements on "Opus Four", "Free Cell Block F", and "Bird Calls"; Escoffery's solo sax on "Prayer for Passive Resistance", Handy's solo arrangement of "Celia" and the smooth, cool jazz of "Meditations", a quartet piece which includes Davis' brilliant bass lines, Handy playing a la Eric Dolphy on Melody Flute, Kikowski's piano and Abe Burton's frenetic sax.

There isn't one false note on Live In Tokyo, and like all great albums, the music stays with you. After listening to the album a third time yesterday, I found myself inadvertently pounding out the back beat by slapping my thighs while waiting for the bus. The album lingers on in my head even now, and I haven't played it since yesterday afternoon. Most importantly, the pleasure the musicians take in playing this date transcends the recording process as each piece pulls you in and makes you feel like you're sitting right there with them.

Live In Tokyo is a marvelous tribute to Mingus. It allows his work to breathe again; grow into directions Mingus would have challenged had he lived long enough. But even if you're not a huge Mingus fan, Live In Tokyo is an extremely solid work which will set your foot tapping and tempt you into turning your living room into a temporary swing club. It is a masterful work of art that allows Mingus to live again in the hearts of jazz aficionados' everywhere.

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Cornerstone early Mingus
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ASIN: B000000Y2U
Release Date: 1991-07-01

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Jump Monk
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Work Song
Septemberly
All The Things You C#
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Customer Reviews:

Cornerstone early Mingus.......2000-09-18

Struggling with the rigors of owning and operating a record company, Charles Mingus was hard pressed to squeeze a substantial profit from his works. His little record label Debut was a dream come true, allowing Mingus creative control.

Up until about the time of this album, Mingus was yet to fully blossom as a bandleader. His method of direction changed from having his band members read music off of the paper, to a freer, improv approach. This opened his music immensely.

It is apparent on this album that Mingus was in full hard bop swing. "Jump Monk" is a furiously swinging tune with a catchy theme. "Work Song" is another hard driver, with a nimble, cerebral rhythm.

This is among the best early period Mingus available. Also included in the extensive 12 disk Debut Box with extra tracks from this same date.

My favorite Mingus.......2000-09-04

This is my favorite mingus album. I have worn out old albums and tapes listening to it. Music stores have said that the CD version doesn't exist. I am happy to have found it here!

Average customer rating:

Horrible production
Great!
Required Mingus!! An Amazing Performance!!
Exciting Concert, But Not Essential
Mingus burns

At Monterey
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ASIN: B0000565DS
Release Date: 2004-09-22

Tracks:

Duke Ellington Medley: I've Got It Bad
Duke Ellington Medley: In a Sentimental Mood
Duke Ellington Medley: All Too Soon
Duke Ellington Medley: Mood Indigo
Duke Ellington Medley: Sophisticated Lady
Duke Ellington Medley: A Train
Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk
Meditations on Integration

Album Description

1997 remastered live release for the jazz great features 8 tracks including a 6-track Duke Ellington medley along with two originals. Fantasy/Victor.

Customer Reviews:

Horrible production.......2006-08-13

DO NOT BUY THIS IMPORT CD! Mingus' great Monterey concert has been butchered by a CD so poor as to be unlistenable. My copy, bought new by the way, has surface noise and distortion that completely ruins the lisening experience. I can only wonder why this album has never been reissued on CD in the U.S.

Great!.......2005-04-01

The core quintet (sadly under-documented) of this record (Lonnie Hillyer, Charles McPherson, Jackie Byard, Dannie Richmond, and the man himself) played together (with variations depending on availability) from 1964-1970. Mingus named another record with them "My Favorite Quintet". Comparing this to "The Great Concert of Charles Mingus" recorded a few months earlier is instructive as it demonstrates the breadth / adaptability etc. of Mingus' musical personality and how responsive he was to the musicians he was working with. Without Eric Dolphy this music is more mainstream than The Great Concert, but very flexible and free within its chosen context. Charles McPherson (hard to imagine a greater contrast to Eric Dolphy as the lead voice) plays beautifully on "Orange" (for me this is the best realized version of this beautiful song and the masterpiece of this album) and "In a Sentimental Mood". Lonnie Hillyer crackles in contrast to his smoothness. Jaki Byard (so like Mingus in his sense of history) is his usual vituostic and encyclopedic self. The bass playing (particularly the solo "I Got it Bad") is magnificent and, as always, so is Dannie Richmond's drumming. John Handy (subbing for Booker Ervin) contributes a solo on "A Train".
The Orchestral "Meditations" is frantic and reminiscent of other large ensemble works by Mingus (which, sadly, tend to be under-rehearsed). Very powerful, but (not to me) as emotionally effecting as the quintet version from The Great Concert.
This record, The Great Concert, and At Antibes form a triumverate of live documentation that show different facets of Mingus, revealing in different ways the incredible power of his personality coupled with his equally incredible capacity for listening to / responding to the personalities of those in his band. His live records have a very different quality from his (equally magnificent) studio efforts, a spontaneous and flexible relationship to the material that demonstrates a separate exploration of the concept of freedom to the then-prevailing idioms of free jazz. This complexity (fascinating to me) seems to have prevented his getting the acclaim critics lavish on musicians whose products are more uniform and whose work requires less thought to categorize. The aspect that ties Mingus' body of work together is its emotional honesty rather than a particular 'sound' or 'style' and critics and academics don't seem to know how to deal with that.
I hope an affordable edition of this comes out soon.

Required Mingus!! An Amazing Performance!!.......2004-07-27

If you must have one recording to show the total capabilities of Charles Mingus, this is the one and it's an extravaganza. It's all here: Mingus' extended solos, an excellent, muscular Mingus small group, and finally a large elephantine Mingus orchestra thrashing about in controlled fury over one of his best musical themes. For those of us who had to suffer through the odd musical breaks and the time it took to flip the records over in the original two record set, this CD is 'Mingus Nirvana'.

While other live efforts were sometimes heavily editied and studio efforts had Mingus confined by the time clock, either through solo restrictions or heavy editing, on this recording Mingus was allowed to roam freely over the musical landscape in front of a live crowd. And roam he did. His beautiful bass solos are displayed in their entirety and the band gets lots of solo room.

My favorite small group solos are Charles McPherson's beautifully evocative exposition on "In A Sentimental Mood", Mingus' masterful solo on "I've Got It Bad...", & Jaki Byard's 'piano history' solo on "Take The A Train". Beyond this is the beautiful soaring ensemble playing on "Orange Was The Color...." which gets a falsetto rise out of Mingus,

"Meditations on Integration" is an extended work that is a world unto itself. You may have to reserve time to digest this one all by itself. Wonderful moments are the main orchestral theme, Mingus' drop-dead gorgeous arco bass solos, Byard's heroic pianistics, the interplay between the piano and bass, and a rip-roaring solo by McPherson that simply must be heard to be believed (and seems to be audibly driving Mingus wild). The incredible ensemble playing on "Meditations on Integration" slowly builds to a wild, though scripted, climax that is reminiscent of the multiple mini-climax' at the end of "The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady". It builds to a blazing sonic hurricane and an amazing experience. The well deserved standing ovation at the climax of the piece goes on and on. "Hard to imagine", indeed.

The sound quality is up and down, but don't let that dissuade you from this incredible experience. Five Stars!!

Exciting Concert, But Not Essential.......2004-03-02

This is the famous concert at the Monterey Jazz Festival in the fall of 1964. In the spring of that year, Mingus had lead what was perhaps his greatest group on a renowned tour of Europe. The initial sextet, featuring Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordan, Jaki Byard, Johnny Coles, and Danny Richmond played together for about a week before trumpeter Coles fell ill onstage during a performance of "So Long Eric". The several bootlegs of this sextet (and the subsequent quintet after Coles had to drop out) are among the most sought after and outstanding in the entire Mingus catalogue of recordings (check Ebay). The "Amsterdam" and "Copenhagen" dates are particularly notable. The artistry is so high on these recordings that the Monterey concert that came later in the year, featuring an enlarged lineup, and minus Jordan, Coles, and the great Eric Dolphy (who had died suddenly in Europe that summer) pales in comparison. The Monterey date is especially good in the opening Duke Ellington medley, which gives Mingus plenty of room to engage in some beautiful solo playing. The second track, a version of "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk" is notable as it is an interesting re-imagining of a Mingus classic that received its definitive treatment in a much different arrangement during the earlier European tour. The last track is the celebrated big band version of "Meditations". So far as I know, this is the only time that Mingus recorded this complex work with such a large ensemble. While certainly exciting, and featuring some outstanding "bow" work from Mingus, this large scale version collapses into ear-jarring chaos. Of course, the crowd loved it, and the band appears to be having a wonderful time! But, as compared to the remarkable earlier versions of this great piece, particularly the version which appears on "Live at Copenhagen", this bombastic performance falls far far short. The great and irreplaceable Eric Dolphy is intimately connected to this piece, and his absence on the Monterey performance depletes the music of much of its power. Indeed, Dolphy was certainly on Mingus's mind as he wrote the excellent liner notes to this set, as he mentions his late lamented friend no less than three times.

It should also be mentioned, that the sound, although more than adequate, distorts at times, and is about on a par with some of the better sounding bootlegs from the Euro tour. But this doesn't seriously interfere with one's enjoyment of the disc.

In conclusion, I heartily recommend this Japanese import to die-hard Mingus fans like myself, but otherwise those with less of an interest in his music may wish to skip this recording.

One essential Mingus recording that year which should be aquired by all and sundry is "The Great Concert of Charles Mingus", which although it lacks the great Johnny Coles, is a fascinating and endlessly inventive document of a performance in Paris in April '64. This recording has recently been remastered and restored and is available via Amazon.fr. Get it while it lasts!!

Mingus burns.......2002-06-22

From the opening roll of Jackie Byard's piano hammering out A-Train, through the rest of the superb Ellington medley that constituted side 1 of the original double-LP, and on through the rest of this devastating performance which should have ended with the arrival of The Big One, since anything else would be anticlimactic, this is Mingus at full bore and is absolutely essential 20th Century American music.

Tracks:

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
Prayer for Passive Resistance
What Love?
I'll Remember April
Folk Forms, No. 1
Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul

Album Description

Warner UK 2005 remastered reissue in a digipak. An awe-inspiring live performance recorded at the 1960 Antibes Jazz Festival. Features special guest artist Bud Powell.

Average customer rating:

Mind-blazingly good
This is easily the best Mingus album I own.
Incredible Live Performance
Don't Buy It Right Now, Maybe Later

Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Ojc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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At Monterey
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ASIN: B00000GCB1
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

New Fables
Meditation (For A Pair Of Wire Cutters)

Customer Reviews:

Mind-blazingly good.......2007-01-15

I'm wondering whether the reviewer Mike Richman actually listened to this album, or just looked at the names of the personnel and decided from there how the music sounds. I challenge anyone with even a remote interest in jazz to listen to this version of Fables of Faubus and propose there is "nothing exciting" about it. This band, though obviously propelled by the rhythm section of Mingus and Richmond, tear into this piece like never before. As an interesting experiment, and to illuminate the genius of Charles Mingus, listen to "Fables of Faubus" as recorded on Mingus Ah Um, then the version on Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (featuring audible lyrics, as well as Dolphy on sax), then listen to this version.

Over the course of 4 or 5 years, Mingus evolved this piece from a standard bop tune with a great theme, to a veritable epic masterwork with interweaving melodies and furious energy. In terms of sheer virtuosity and brilliant composing, this performance nearly rivals Mingus's greatest work, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. This version of "Fables" is at a higher tempo than the previous recordings, yet the band never lets up for a moment. Just when you think the piece may be winding down to a finale, the players introduce a completely new section, or they revitalize a melody from 10 minutes earlier. Even at 23 minutes in length, this performance doesn't drag for a second. Along the way, you get Mingus and Richmond howling along with the music, John Handy pulling aural cartwheels in order to keep up with them, and, as an additional musical affirmation of ethnicity in this already politically-charged composition, the whole band revisits the rollicking theme of Ysabel's Table Dance from Mingus's Tijuana Moods. No, jazz fans, there is no lack of excitement here.

In addition to New Fables, you also get Meditations (on a pair of wire cutters), a piece about integration, whose sophistication and understatement puts Mingus on par with almost any of his classical music contemporaries. The torment in his bowed bass will leave you haunted and speechless.

It is a shame that Mingus withdrew from the jazz scene amidst a slew of personal and mental problems, right at the height of his creative powers in 1965. This 1964 disc, along with the newly reissued UCLA performance, are testament to his legacy, along with Ellington, as the greatest of all jazz composers, and a powerful, unpredictable bandleader. Charles Mingus continued to exert his compositional prowess on "Let My Children Hear Music" and his other late-period releases, but never again would any of his bands match the fire and fury attained during the era of RIGHT NOW.

This is easily the best Mingus album I own........2006-09-07

Listen to this version of New Fables. There are so many parts that swing so intensely... I really can't explain it any better than this band plays it. Listen! Mingus on bass, Dannie Richmond (he sounds absolutely killer on this album) on drums, Cliff Jordan on tenor (best I've ever heard him sound,) Jane Getz on piano (she was 16 when she made this recording) and special guest John Handy (always a treat) on alto. Buy this, you won't be disappointed.

Incredible Live Performance.......2005-05-06

I am a huge Mingus fan, and I think this recording of New Fables is the most intense version I have heard. The way the bass takes it upon itself to lead the band into each part of the song is amazing. Must be listened to at top volume.

Don't Buy It Right Now, Maybe Later.......2000-07-27

"Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop" is a typically good live performance from Charles Mingus, there's just nothing overly exciting about it. The two extended compositions "Fables of Faubus" and "Meditations" are available on numerous other recordings, and these are not definitive versions. Also, this recording is from 1964, and there are two other live recordings from the same year that I would easily recommend ahead of this one -- "Town Hall Concert (OJC)" and "Revenge." Both of these CDs feature all-star bands including Eric Dolphy, whereas "Right Now" is an average band, with Clifford Jordan and the ever-present Dannie Richmond the only notables. This isn't a bad Mingus album (he didn't make many of those), but there are a lot better things out there.

Average customer rating:

Mingus and some friends have a Jam Session

Mingus at Carnegie Hall
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Mobile Fidelity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000IT5
Release Date: 1994-03-29

Tracks:

C Jam Blues
Perdido

Customer Reviews:

Mingus and some friends have a Jam Session.......2004-01-08

This album was originally released when I was just 14. As a Tenor Sax player, and a Mingus Fan, and a Rahsaan Roland Kirk fan, this album was one I just couldn't pass up, and blew my whole allowance on the album.

I recently purchased the CD, which comes with informative notes that even go so far as to keep track of the choruses by each soloist. This was the first set of a concert that featured Mingus' regular band. Mingus invited Kirk and others to sit in for the jam. Rahsaan, of course, takes the longest and, in my opinion, the most exciting solos. Jon Faddis is the lone trumpeter. Besides Rahsaan on tenor, the sax players are John Handy on tenor (C-Jam Blues) and alto (Perdido), Charles McPherson on alto, George Adams on tenor, and Hamiett Blueitt on baritone. Don Pullen is the pianist and Dannie Richmond is the drummer. Mingus and his band and friends jam on two Duke Ellington standards. I particularly enjoyed Handy's lyrical alto sax solo on Perdido. C-Jam Blues ends with a few minutes of free playing. The linear notes even tell of George Adams reaching out and fingering one of Rahsaan's instruments. Its almost an hour of music and well worth the price. For those who want to hear Mingus with Rahsaan in the studio, also recommended is Mingus' album "Oh Yeah!".

Mingus at Antibes
Average customer rating:
Mingus at Antibes
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Oh Yeah

Mingus at Carnegie Hall

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Blues and Roots

ASIN: B000KHXFXM
Release Date: 2007-02-05

Tracks:

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
Prayer for Passive Resistance
What Love?
I'll Remember April
Folk Forms, No. 1
Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Tonight at Noon
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000IH98
Release Date: 1999-03-30

Tracks:

Tonight at Noon
Invisible Lady
"Old" Blues for Walt's Torin
Peggy's Blue Skylight
Passions of a Woman Loved

Album Description

Reissue of 1961 album for Atlantic in a digipak. Features Rahsaan Roland Kirk on reeds. Five tracks. The All-Music Guide gave 'Tonight At Noon' four stars (out of five possible). 1998 Atlantic Records release.

Album Details

Limited Edition Digipack with Original LP Cover and Liner Notes.

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music