Charles Mingus Sextet, Live at Cornell U 1964

[Guy Berger]

Apparently Brian Priestley posted the following on the Mingus list:

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From: <brianpriestley1@eircom.net>

Organization: Eircom Net (http://www.eircom.net/)

Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:35:56 +0000

To: mingus@concordia.ca

Subject: new Mingus

Hi all

Far be it from me to act as PR agent for EMI records, but this has just come

to my attention and I thought you'd like to know, if you don't already (spot

the deliberate error in the advertising copy, by the way):

BLUE NOTE RECORDS ? International Release Date May 21st

ARTIST NAME: Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy

RELEASE TITLE: Cornell 1964

BIO/ARTIST PROFILE:

Over 20 years after this incredible concert was recorded, the tapes were

recently discovered by jazz legend Charles Mingus?s widow, Sue. This March

18, 1964 performance at Cornell University, presented in its entirety on 2

CDs, is one of the most joyous and exciting performances of Charles Mingus?s

considerable career. The band ? with trumpeter Johnny Coles, reedmen Eric

Dolphy and Clifford Jordan, pianists Jaki Byard and Dannie Richmond ? had

only been together for a few weeks when the concert took place, and it is

obvious from the outset that this was a happy and satisfying experience for

all.

Highlights include half-hour excursions into Mingus?s ?Fables of Faubus? and

?Meditations,? a rollicking extended version of Billy Strayhorn?s ?Take the

?A? Train,? and Eric Dolphy?s unique arrangement of Fats Waller?s ?Jitterbug

Waltz.? All of Mingus?s bands had a volcanic swing, but few attained a level

of empathy and interplay like this edition of The Jazz Workshop. The band

went on to perform and record a celebrated Town Hall concert in New York

City before leaving for a triumphant European tour. Eric Dolphy would remain

in Europe where he died that June.

BUY HERE?S WHY:

* Two hours and 15 minutes of previously unreleased Charles Mingus music

with Eric Dolphy!

* Impressive tour schedule by various Mingus Bands performing this

repertoire to support release

TRACK LISTING:

Disc One:

1. ATFW You 4:42

2. Sophisticated Lady 4:23

3. Fables of Faubus 29:42

4. Orange Was the Colour of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk 15:05

5. Take the ?A? Train 17:28

Disc Two:

1. Meditations 31:36

2. So Long Eric 15:18

3. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling 6:07

4. Jitterbug Waltz 9:59

Edited March 1, 2007 by Guy

[jlhoots]

I'm ready to buy!!

[Nate Dorward]

Wow, that's great to hear. This was one of the great bands. Any word on recording quality? I guess it doesn't matter, but it'd be doubly nice if it were well-recorded....

I take it the "error" is in the instrumentation listing.

[kh1958]

Great news!

Now, if someone would release the recordings Columbia made at Ronnie Scott's...

[ghost of miles]

Heard about this a couple of months ago, but there was no definite release date for it yet... glad to see it's now imminent.

[brownie]

I'm joining the queue to get that one

[John L]

It's not that this sextet playing these pieces in 1964 lacks previous documentation. But, hey, bring it on!

[bertrand]

You have multiple versions of this band playing 'Irish Eyes' and "Jitterbug Waltz'?

The 'deliberate' error is either the statement that this was recorded 20 years ago, or that the tape was just recently found. The two together don't jibe. Either they wanted to mask the fact that this concert is 40+ years old (like that would keep me from buying it) or mask the fact that Sue sat on this for 20+ years (a more likely scenario). The error in the instrumentation looks like a non-deliberate typo.

What's the Mingus list? I used to be on the Miles list but got in a fight with some douche about Alan Shorter of all people. Is it more civil?

Bertrand.

Edited March 1, 2007 by bertrand

[sal]

I'll be getting this one the day its released!! YAHOO!!!!

[Swinging Swede]

Over 20 years after this incredible concert was recorded, the tapes were recently discovered by jazz legend Charles Mingus?s widow, Sue. This March

18, 1964 performance at Cornell University...

Well, 1964 *is* over 20 years ago, so the statement is technically correct!

And it will be interesting to hear Dannie Richmond on piano...

[Swinger]

Excellent news!

[Adam]

On Blue Note, and not on Revenge Records, or whatever Sue's label is called...

A good sign?

[medjuck]

You have multiple versions of this band playing 'Irish Eyes' and "Jitterbug Waltz'?

The 'deliberate' error is either the statement that this was recorded 20 years ago, or that the tape was just recently found. The two together don't jibe. Either they wanted to mask the fact that this concert is 40+ years old (like that would keep me from buying it) or mask the fact that Sue sat on this for 20+ years (a more likely scenario). The error in the instrumentation looks like a non-deliberate typo.

What's the Mingus list? I used to be on the Miles list but got in a fight with some douche about Alan Shorter of all people. Is it more civil?

Bertrand.

Much more civil and not very active. BTW I believe he error is:

" pianists Jaki Byard and Dannie Richmond". I knew Dannie had played sax but never heard of him on piano.

[RDK]

It's Mingus' rare drummerless, double-piano sextet. Only played the one gig.

[B. Clugston]

Wow! I can never get enough of this band.

[kh1958]

In other Mingus news, there are going to be four more performances of Epitaph.

2007 Mingus Epitaph Performances

Wed, Apr. 25 2007 Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York

CenterCharge 212-721-6500

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fri, Apr. 27 2007 Tri-C Jazz Festival Cleveland, OH

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, May. 16 2007 Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles CA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fri, May. 18 2007 Symphony Center Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[JSngry]

(spot the deliberate error in the advertising copy, by the way):

* Impressive tour schedule by various Mingus Bands performing this

repertoire to support release

[Cliff Englewood]

I don't know why but Tower in Dublin had this on sale late last week for the very reasonable price of €20, normally doubles are in the €25-€30 range. It's a similar situation to the Monk/Trane at Carnegie disc, in that they had it early and at a bargain price, €10, only for it to go up later, it's now nearly €20.

Also I think Blue Note are doing something similar by calling it the "CHARLES MINGUS SEXTET W/ ERIC DOLPHY", getting two name artists on the cover. I mean, I don't think Mingus gigs were advertised "with Eric Dolphy" or even "featuring Eric Dolphy" back in the day but I could be wrong. The artwork is also kind of similar to the Monk/Trane release as well, so if you didn't like that one.

I have listened to this twice now and I'll start off on the negative side, if you had problems with the sound of the recently released "At UCLA 1965", I didn't by the way, you might not like this. The liners say "Mastered by Mark Wilder, Sony Studios", and I think the "Editorial Review" on Amazon sums it up quite well, "The sound here is less crisp than The Great Concert, thick in the middle and ill-defined when it comes to Richmond's drums, leaving the group's interplay like an ear-magnet." Nothing majorly bad though, disc one seems a bit better that disc two to my ears, and it's definitely better than some of the Bootlegs from the '64 Tour of Europe. Another minor gripe is on the first disc they have track 1 listed as "Opening", it's just 17 seconds of applause; don't know why they needed to have it as a separate track.

The booklet liners are by Gary Giddins, nothing major, just functional and informative,(Keepnews take note, you fuck head) but he does make a good point about the fact that no one knew this Concert existed before Sue Mingus found the tapes, it was not listed anywhere before now, which is kinda weird. Also that Dolphy went and recorded "Point of Departure" three days after this, you know, as you do. I thought there were too many people involved in the liners for the Monk/Trane disc, some of them were so shit, so it's good in that respect, however I think they could have put a few more photos in this one, especially considering that the one photo they do have doesn't even show Coles. :crazy:

The tunes that really impressed me are "Fables of Faubus", maybe the best I've heard it, but I haven't heard all of them mind you, "Take the "A" Train", which is totally manic and I get the impression that it went on longer than they originally intended, "Jitterbug Waltz", which is so good you'll wonder why they didn't do it more often on that Tour. "Orange Was the Colour of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk", "Meditations", "ATFW You", "Sophisticated Lady" are at the level of other recordings from that Tour i.e. excellent and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" is a bit of a laugh, nothing more nothing less. It's only "So Long Eric" that is a bit of a let down for me, not as good as it would be a few weeks later on "Town Hall Concert", which I think is a high point of Mingus' career, never mind that Tour. The version here seems a bit too slow or something, Mingus seems to be unhappy with Coles' solo and when Coles finishes and Byard starts his, Mingus seems to saying something like "get us straight, get us straight", like he feels they've gone off the boil.

And boiling would be a good word to describe the performance as a whole, they really do kick ass, and both buttocks at that. Mingus seems to be in a great mood because he is doing loads of the famous hollering throughout. Byard is so good and Richmond's solo and exchanges with Mingus on "Take the "A" Train" have me thinking of Max Roach.

All in all a really excellent listening experience and well done to everyone involved in getting this released.

[Bluesnik]

FWIW,

the Japanese have curious release plans for this: first they'll release an import version (or have released, since it was scheduled for late June) and one month later they'll release their domestic Toshiba version. i don't get the logic in this!

[king ubu]

I've seen it in Vienna at a similarly low prize (I think it was around 20 euro, maybe a bit below, even) - didn't get it... yet... will drop by that store again next week, maybe check a couple of other stores, too.

[J Larsen]

This gets released on my birthday and will be the first new-to-me Mingus I've heard in quite a while. Good stuff!

[ep1str0phy]

Thanks for the review, Cliff.

[Cliff Englewood]

You're very welcome.

[JPF]

I don't know why but Tower in Dublin had this on sale late last week for the very reasonable price of €20, normally doubles are in the €25-€30 range. It's a similar situation to the Monk/Trane at Carnegie disc, in that they had it early and at a bargain price, €10, only for it to go up later, it's now nearly €20.

Also I think Blue Note are doing something similar by calling it the "CHARLES MINGUS SEXTET W/ ERIC DOLPHY", getting two name artists on the cover. I mean, I don't think Mingus gigs were advertised "with Eric Dolphy" or even "featuring Eric Dolphy" back in the day but I could be wrong. The artwork is also kind of similar to the Monk/Trane release as well, so if you didn't like that one.

I have listened to this twice now and I'll start off on the negative side, if you had problems with the sound of the recently released "At UCLA 1965", I didn't by the way, you might not like this. The liners say "Mastered by Mark Wilder, Sony Studios", and I think the "Editorial Review" on Amazon sums it up quite well, "The sound here is less crisp than The Great Concert, thick in the middle and ill-defined when it comes to Richmond's drums, leaving the group's interplay like an ear-magnet." Nothing majorly bad though, disc one seems a bit better that disc two to my ears, and it's definitely better than some of the Bootlegs from the '64 Tour of Europe. Another minor gripe is on the first disc they have track 1 listed as "Opening", it's just 17 seconds of applause; don't know why they needed to have it as a separate track.

The booklet liners are by Gary Giddins, nothing major, just functional and informative,(Keepnews take note, you fuck head) but he does make a good point about the fact that no one knew this Concert existed before Sue Mingus found the tapes, it was not listed anywhere before now, which is kinda weird. Also that Dolphy went and recorded "Point of Departure" three days after this, you know, as you do. I thought there were too many people involved in the liners for the Monk/Trane disc, some of them were so shit, so it's good in that respect, however I think they could have put a few more photos in this one, especially considering that the one photo they do have doesn't even show Coles.

The tunes that really impressed me are "Fables of Faubus", maybe the best I've heard it, but I haven't heard all of them mind you, "Take the "A" Train", which is totally manic and I get the impression that it went on longer than they originally intended, "Jitterbug Waltz", which is so good you'll wonder why they didn't do it more often on that Tour. "Orange Was the Colour of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk", "Meditations", "ATFW You", "Sophisticated Lady" are at the level of other recordings from that Tour i.e. excellent and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" is a bit of a laugh, nothing more nothing less. It's only "So Long Eric" that is a bit of a let down for me, not as good as it would be a few weeks later on "Town Hall Concert", which I think is a high point of Mingus' career, never mind that Tour. The version here seems a bit too slow or something, Mingus seems to be unhappy with Coles' solo and when Coles finishes and Byard starts his, Mingus seems to saying something like "get us straight, get us straight", like he feels they've gone off the boil.

And boiling would be a good word to describe the performance as a whole, they really do kick ass, and both buttocks at that. Mingus seems to be in a great mood because he is doing loads of the famous hollering throughout. Byard is so good and Richmond's solo and exchanges with Mingus on "Take the "A" Train" have me thinking of Max Roach.

All in all a really excellent listening experience and well done to everyone involved in getting this released.

Thanks for the review; is the sound indeed in mono, not stereo, as I've heard?

[Cliff Englewood]

JPF, I should have added this to my original review, from the liner notes;

"Note: occasional instances of drop-out or phasing are in the original mono recording and cannot be corrected."

Although it doesn't say who actually recorded it originally, I have to say that whoever did do it, they did a good job, as they are very occasional instances of drop-out or phasing.