Guy Berger Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 I don't think there's been much discussion of this disc. There are two lengthy tracks, "So Long Eric" and "Praying with Eric" (aka "Meditations for a Pair of Wire-Cutters", "Meditations on Integration"). The lineup is one of the greatest Jazz Workshops, maybe THE greatest: Mingus, Johnny Coles, Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordan, Jaki Byard and Dannie Richmond. I've only heard one other performance by this group, the one released by Verve as The Great Concert of Charles Mingus. They each have their strengths -- I think the Town Hall version of "Meditations" is stronger. Coles adds a lot to the ensembles though I'm not crazy about his solo improvisations. In addition, Clifford Jordan has probably the strongest solo on this tune -- remarkable when you consider that Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet is involved. I also think that in general, Byard plays better here than on the Paris concert. Finally, Dolphy plays some of the most poignant flute I've ever heard from him. With "So Long Eric" I might have to give Paris the nod because of the Dolphy-Jordan interplay, but the version here is excellent. Anyway, if you haven't heard this I recommend picking it up. Guy Quote
BruceH Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 I'm sold! It's going near the top of my (lengthy) list. Quote
kh1958 Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 I can't believe everyone doesn't have this already (along with The Great Concert of Charles Mingus). There's supposedly another complete concert recording of this group at Cornell University and Sue Mingus has claimed she is going to release it, though it never seems to happen. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 The obligatory CDUniverse linky: Charles Mingus - Town Hall Concert Quote
bluesbro Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 The obligatory CDUniverse linky: Charles Mingus - Town Hall Concert The URL is not valid Quote
jazzbo Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 Well, I've listened to all I can of this group. . .a n d I don't really HAVE an idea that one appearance is better than another. This is a really good one! They're all in my opinion really good ones, with or without Coles. GET IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT! If they made this a Concord RVG I'd buy it! (again) Quote
kh1958 Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 From mingusmingusmingus.com: New MBB and Legacy recordings Mon, Feb. 13 2006 The Mingus Big Band made a live recording at the Blue Note in Tokyo, New Year's Eve, Dec. 3lst, 2005-06. This recording, together with the Charles Mingus live album,"Music Written for Monterey, Not Played, Performed at UCLA, l965" --which has never before appeared on CD -- will be issued simultaneously in September 2006 on the SueMingusMusic label, distributed by Sunnyside and Universal Music. Together, these two albums offer an opportunity to hear Charles Mingus performing his own music live in l965, as well as today's musicians carrying his huge legacy of composition into the future. Quote
ep1str0phy Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 Well, I've listened to all I can of this group. . .a n d I don't really HAVE an idea that one appearance is better than another. That's a pretty strong summation of my feelings (and, I would assume, sentiments held by lots of folks on this BBS). A note on Coles, though; as much as I love his playing, I never felt as if his absence really harmed the group--both 'editions' are equally fine (although I do perk up whenever I 'don't hear' a missing textural part or two--after a while, your ears get a little used to pyramid lines). Quote
Hank Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 I think this is one of the best performances of a band that's really well-represented. Plus this has Johnny Coles, whose presence I really dig here. Makes this one a little extra special, since he was not present for many of the concerts from the tour. This record might've been my first introduction to Mingus. I remember finding the lp when I was a kid, in a budget bin in an old Modell's department store in the late 60s. I got it because Dolphy was on it. Quote
JSngry Posted April 3, 2006 Report Posted April 3, 2006 Well, I've listened to all I can of this group. . .a n d I don't really HAVE an idea that one appearance is better than another. That's a pretty strong summation of my feelings (and, I would assume, sentiments held by lots of folks on this BBS). Indeed. Quote
JSngry Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 In a perfect world, the entire 1964 European tour recordings would be packaged in a single collection. http://webusers.siba.fi/~eonttone/mingus/1964.html Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 Sound like an irritated bunch of Negros to me. Quote
RDK Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 In a perfect world, the entire 1964 European tour recordings would be packaged in a single collection. http://webusers.siba.fi/~eonttone/mingus/1964.html Indeed. My favorite is the Stuttgart show. Great sound on that one! Quote
kinuta Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 (edited) Re: the European Tour recordings. The two volumes on Enja are really great. Mingus In Europe Vol 1 (Enja TKCB-71970) Mingus In Europe Vol 1 (Enja 3077 ) Germany April 26th 1964 Revenge 2 cd set 'The Legendary Paris Concerts' ( Revenge Records 32002 ) Paris April 18th 1964. Charles Mingus Meditations On Integration ( Bandstand BDCD 1524) Scandinavia 1964 ( no further details ) is also great and this time includes Johhny Coles.. The recording quality is less than stellar but the music on this and all the others is absolutely stunning. Edited April 4, 2006 by kinuta Quote
Hank Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 Re: the European Tour recordings. The two volumes on Enja are really great. Mingus In Europe Vol 1 (Enja TKCB-71970) Mingus In Europe Vol 1 (Enja 3077 ) Germany April 26th 1964 Revenge 2 cd set 'The Legendary Paris Concerts' ( Revenge Records 32002 ) Paris April 18th 1964. Charles Mingus Meditations On Integration ( Bandstand BDCD 1524) Scandinavia 1964 ( no further details ) is also great and this time includes Johhny Coles.. The recording quality is less than stellar but the music on this and all the others is absolutely stunning. In addition to these, there's a nice-sounding 2CD set that DIW released years ago, called "In Amsterdam, 1964." It's from the Concertgebouw [sp?], on April 10th, with Coles still in action. Quote
jazzbo Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 I think that DIW was a reissue of the Amsterdam concerts, which I have on Ullysses (sp?). Great sets! Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 I think that DIW was a reissue of the Amsterdam concerts, which I have on Ullysses (sp?). Great sets! Yes, the vinyl set was a partnership by Sue Mingus and Fred Cohen. I believe Fred still has copies for sale. Quote
brownie Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 I think that DIW was a reissue of the Amsterdam concerts, which I have on Ullysses (sp?). Great sets! Yes, the vinyl set was a partnership by Sue Mingus and Fred Cohen. I believe Fred still has copies for sale. Was not aware that Fred Cohen had anything to do with the Ulysse Musique releases. The Amsterdam concert albums (a double LP plus a single one' state they were 'produced for records by Ulysse Musique with the kind permission of Jazz Workshop Inc. and Susan Graham Mingus'. Ulysee was a French label that also issued a Cannonball Adderley concert. Great sets, yes! Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 I think that DIW was a reissue of the Amsterdam concerts, which I have on Ullysses (sp?). Great sets! Yes, the vinyl set was a partnership by Sue Mingus and Fred Cohen. I believe Fred still has copies for sale. Was not aware that Fred Cohen had anything to do with the Ulysse Musique releases. The Amsterdam concert albums (a double LP plus a single one' state they were 'produced for records by Ulysse Musique with the kind permission of Jazz Workshop Inc. and Susan Graham Mingus'. Ulysee was a French label that also issued a Cannonball Adderley concert. Great sets, yes! I used to be one of their distributors. I think Sue received "product" for the US market in payment from Ulysse Musique and Fred handled logistiscs/labor. I initially ordered stock from Fred and finally Sue called me offering a deal if I would buy the remaining inventory. I didn't have the bread. Anyway, within the last year or so Fred still had stock. Quote
brownie Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 I'ld rather deal with Fred than with Susan Quote
Ken Dryden Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 Fred told me that the one the one LP set he reissued with Sue Mingus' assistance was that Music Written For Monterey (Not the one reissued by Fantasy, but the rarer one sold only through mailorder by Mingus). The last time we discussed it he had them available for $40 new, while the reissue readily goes for much higher sums on ebay. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted April 4, 2006 Report Posted April 4, 2006 I distributed that one too. It was an lp dub since the original tapes were destroyed. Quote
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