Charles Mingus on bass
Late posting Charlie Mingus birthday (April) playlist and comments.
I think if I had to choose one jazz musician, composer, improviser who, in my opinion, stands high among his jazz peers, it would have to be Charles Mingus. I don’t pretend to understand his music; I don’t pretend to comprehend his the nature of his enormous talent; and I don’t pretend to fathom the descent from musical genius to physical disintegration. He was a man of extremes, musical, emotional, and psychological. The fault of the genius or the price you pay for that kind of creative output.
Mingus’ music is an exploration of emotions that range from melodic bliss to grating paranoia, from swinging blue notes to the incomprehensible chaos of free jazz, from elation to sadness. Call it jazz, call it avaunt-garde, call it hard bop, call it free jazz, box it up and call it whatever you like, it is unlike any jazz I’ve ever heard. Mingus would quickly reject labeling or classifying his music. He wouldn’t call it jazz. In Europe, he says, they call it “American music.”
One of my favorite compositions is “Goodby Pork Pie Hat,” and elegy for Lester Young, whose signature hat was as iconic as the way he held his sax.
Here’s the playlist for All That Jazz, Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Spinitr
Charles Mingus “Cryin’ Blues” composed by C. Mingus from Blues & Roots (1959) on Rhino — Mingus with John Handy and Jackie McLean on alto, Booker Ervin on tenor, frequent anchor Pepper Adams on baritone, and Jimmy Knepper and Willie Dennis on trombones and Dannie Richmond on drums
Charles Mingus “Myself When I Am Real” composed by C. Mingus from Mingus Plays Piano (1963) on decca — Mingus solo on piano; brilliant improvisation
Joni Mitchell “Goodbye pork pie hat” composed by Charles Mingus from Mingus (1979) on Asylum — Joni Mitchell, vocals; Herbie Handcock, keyboards; Jaco Pastorius, bass; Wayne Shorter, soprano; Peter Erskine, drums
Ivie Anderson And Her All Stars “The Voot Is Here to Stay” composed by Baranco, Harper, Anderson from I Got It Good and That Ain’t Bad! (1946) on Jasmine Records — (Mingus was 24) Ivie Anderson, vocals; Karl George (trumpet) Willie Smith (alto saxophone) Gene Porter (tenor saxophone) Buddy Collette (baritone saxophone) Wilbert Baranco (piano, arranger) Buddy Harper (guitar) Charles Mingus (bass) Booker Hart (drums)
Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra “Goldwyn Stomp” composed by Hampton from The Lionel Hampton Story (1947) on BMG International
Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra “Giddy Up” composed by Hampton from The Lionel Hampton Story (1947) on BMG International
Baron Mingus And His Octet “Pipe Dreams” composed by Mingus from Baron Mingus (1946) — Karl George (trumpet) Henry Coker (trombone) Willie Smith (alto saxophone) Marshall Royal (alto saxophone, clarinet) Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone) Lady Will Carr (piano) Irving Ashby (guitar) Charles Mingus (bass) Lee Young (drums)
Freddie Hubbard “Asiatic Raes” composed by Hubbard from Goin Up (1960) on Blue Note — Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; Hank Mobley, tenor; McCoy Tyner, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums
Joe Henderson “Pedro’s Tune” composed by Kenny Dorham from Our Thing (1963) on Blue Note — Joe Henderson, tenor; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; pianist Andrew Hill, bassist Eddie Khan, and drummer Pete La Roca
Jimmy Witherspoon “lotus blossom” from Spoon’s Blues (1995) on Stony Plain Recording Co.
Jackie McLean “Greasy” from New Soil (1959) on Blue Note — Jackie McLean, alto; Donald Byrd, trumpet; Walter Davis, Jr., piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums
Charles Mingus “Ysabel’s Table Dance” composed by C. Mingus from Tijuana Moods (1962) on RCA — Shafi Hadi, alto;
Charles Mingus “Devil Woman” composed by Charles Mingus from Mingus Oh Yeah (1961) on Atlantic — Charles Mingus, vocals; Bill Triglis, piano; Trombonist Jimmy Knepper and drummer Dannie Richmond
The Quintet “Perdio” composed by Juan Tizon from Jazz at Massey Hall (1953) on OJS — Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet; Charlie Parker, alto; Bud Powell, piano; Charlie Mingus, bass; Max Roach, drums
Charlie Mingus “Original Fables of Faubus” composed by Mingus from Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1960) on Candid — Ted Curson, trumpet; Eric Dolphy, alto; Charles Mingus, bass; Dannie Richmond, drums
Rahsaan Roland Kirk “A Sack Full of Soul” composed by Kirk from We Free Kings (1961) on Mercury
Duke Ellington And His Orchestra “black butterfly” composed by D. Ellington from Up In Duke’s Workshop (1972) on pablo
Charles Mingus “Goodbye pork pie hat” composed by Mingus from Mingus Ah Um (1959) on Columbia
The Mingus catalog is enormous; a person could spend years listening to it all. For a better understanding of Mingus and some of his complexities, read his biography, Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus and watch the documentary Triumph of the Underdog (1998).
Call and Response 