mikelz777 Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 I just purchased Charles Mingus's "Ah Um 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition" to replace the copy of "Ah Um" I regret having sold years ago. This particular CD is actually a two-fer containing "Ah Um" and "Mingus Dynasty". I don't ever see myself going real deep into Mingus but I think I'd like more than the current zero Mingus titles in my collection before this re-buy. What would you recommend as the top 5 Mingus titles that no one should miss? (I'm already kind of eyeballing "Mingus At Antibes" and "A Night At Cafe Bohemia".) Quote
AllenLowe Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Blues and Roots - Atlantic and both Candid sessions. get those two and you can die happy. They are amazing. Quote
jazzbo Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 That's really hard for me because I have every bit of Mingus I could find, official and unofficial, and your taste and mine are not always congruent. I'll say don't skip "East Coasting" on Bethlehem or "Mingus Plays Piano" on Impulse. Those are wonderful. And you may really dig "Blues and Roots" on Atlantic. Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Do NOT skip "Mingus Presents Mingus" with Dolphy and Curson on Candid AND "Tijuana Moods" (Mingus' personal favorite) on RCA. Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Blues and Roots - Atlantic and both Candid sessions. get those two and you can die happy. They are amazing. There are considerably more than 2 Candid sessions, and they are all fantastic! Quote
AllenLowe Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 there are only 2 real Candid albums - other stuff released, but only two formal LPs - Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 there are only 2 real Candid albums - other stuff released, but only two formal LPs - Note that in your orinal post, you said "both" Candid sessions. I replied that there are more than 2 sessions, not albums. Quote
AllenLowe Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) album=session in the pre-CD, LP age Edited October 31, 2009 by AllenLowe Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 album=session in the pre-CD, LP age What do we call albums produced from more than one session then? Quote
mjzee Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Mingus went through many phases, with many different types of sounds. From his early period, which encompasses his early Atlantics, I like Mingus at the Bohemia, Pithecanthropus Erectus and Tijuana Moods. From his middle period, through the mid-60's, the Columbias are probably the most polished and exciting. Props should be given to Oh Yeah!, since it really captures his personality. I don't care for a lot of the Candids because I don't care for Eric Dolphy, and I also don't care for the Impulses because they're either too ragged (Mingus Mingus Mingus) or meandering (Black Saint). For the later period ('70's), I love the The Complete America Session and the Lionel Hampton session. Quote
mikelz777 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Report Posted October 31, 2009 there are only 2 real Candid albums - other stuff released, but only two formal LPs - Note that in your orinal post, you said "both" Candid sessions. I replied that there are more than 2 sessions, not albums. So are we talking about: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus Mysterious Blues Reincarnation of a Lovebird ? Quote
mjzee Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 there are only 2 real Candid albums - other stuff released, but only two formal LPs - Note that in your orinal post, you said "both" Candid sessions. I replied that there are more than 2 sessions, not albums. So are we talking about: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus Mysterious Blues Reincarnation of a Lovebird ? One more: He's also on something called "Newport Rebels," but that isn't considered a pure "Mingus" session. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 there are only 2 real Candid albums - other stuff released, but only two formal LPs - Note that in your orinal post, you said "both" Candid sessions. I replied that there are more than 2 sessions, not albums. So are we talking about: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus Mysterious Blues Reincarnation of a Lovebird ? Mingus recorded only twice for Candid - Oct 20 and Nov 11, 1960. This material is now spread over 4 discs. The best material is on the 2 original issues called Mingus and Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus. Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Does that Legacy edition listed in the first post include the tracks as Mingus originally edited them, or are they the full-length versions? Quote
AllenLowe Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 as I recall, at the time 2 albums were issued on Candid - and then later, lots of reissues, including the Eldridge and/or Rebels sessions. could be wrong. Quote
corbin Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 The Black Saint And THe Sinner Lady Pithecanthropus Erectus Tijuana Moods Tonight At Noon Mingus At Antibes Corbin Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) there are only 2 real Candid albums - other stuff released, but only two formal LPs - Note that in your orinal post, you said "both" Candid sessions. I replied that there are more than 2 sessions, not albums. So are we talking about: Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus Mysterious Blues Reincarnation of a Lovebird ? Mingus recorded only twice for Candid - Oct 20 and Nov 11, 1960. This material is now spread over 4 discs. The best material is on the 2 original issues called Mingus and Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus. All well and dandy, but my point, however inconsequential it may seem, is that one session does not necessarily correspond to only one album, and vice versa. Just trying to point out the error of Mr. Lowe's ways. Edited October 31, 2009 by JETman Quote
mikelz777 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Report Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) Does that Legacy edition listed in the first post include the tracks as Mingus originally edited them, or are they the full-length versions? This is per the AllMusic review: "...this two-disc set has not only the entirety of the original album [Ah Um], using unedited versions of four tracks that were shortened on the 1959 LP release, but it also has three outtakes; alternate takes of "Bird Calls," "Better Git It in Your Soul," and "Jelly Roll"; the entirety of the other album he cut for Columbia in 1959, Mingus Dynasty (with unedited versions of five tracks shortened on the original LP release); and even a bonus track from the Mingus Dynasty sessions with a Honey Gordon vocal, "Strollin' (Nostalgia in Times Square)." It adds up to about two and a half hours of music..." Edited October 31, 2009 by mikelz777 Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Does that Legacy edition listed in the first post include the tracks as Mingus originally edited them, or are they the full-length versions? I believe they are the full length versions that were originally released on the Complete 1959 Columbia Recordings 3 cd Sony/Legacy set and Mosaic lp set. Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Thanks. So it looks like I will need to hang on to my 80s pressings of the CDs - and mono LPs. Quote
Niko Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 if you were me: Ah Um (if you didn't have that one) East Coasting The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady then Pithecantropus Erectus At the Bohemia Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Thanks. So it looks like I will need to hang on to my 80s pressings of the CDs - and mono LPs. Why not get and keep both? Music that isn't the artists' vision is not necessarily bad. Obviously, things like amount of music allowed on an lp and other factors often entered into editing decisions. FWIW, these unedited versions are excellent, and do not suffer from the recent decision to expand, rather than remain true to, the original lp. Quote
AllenLowe Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 in that era, a session was for a single album - the idea of spreading it around happened only in the real reissue age, which started some years later. Quote
JETman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 in that era, a session was for a single album - the idea of spreading it around happened only in the real reissue age, which started some years later. You must be way more advanced in years than I thought! Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted October 31, 2009 Report Posted October 31, 2009 Why not get and keep both? Music that isn't the artists' vision is not necessarily bad. Obviously, things like amount of music allowed on an lp and other factors often entered into editing decisions. FWIW, these unedited versions are excellent, and do not suffer from the recent decision to expand, rather than remain true to, the original lp. I generally agree with you. I have all the expanded and unreleased stuff from those two albums on a Columbia collection called "Nostalgia in Times Square." I certainly like having and hearing the full length stuff. The thing is, though, that Mingus went into those sessions knowing that he would record more than he would use. The original albums reflected his conception of how they should sound. The expanded "Mingus Ah Um," which I also have, simply doesn't have the same pacing as the original. I'm glad the full length performances are out there, but I feel they should supplement Mingus's original albums rather than replace them, IMHO. Quote
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