Your Three Favorite Mingus Recordings

[paul secor]

I just finished reading a book of reminiscences/reflections about Charles Mingus, & started thinking about my favorite recordings. Two of my favorite three are usual suspects, but they hit me hard when I first heard them and still do:

Mingus Ah Um

Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus

Mingus Plays Piano - Spontaneous Compositions and Improvisations

Mingus Ah Um was a very important record for me. I bought it and Sonny Rollins' Our Man in Jazz in late '62/early '63 when I only had a few jazz records in my collection. I played Our Man in Jazz first and was lost. I'd never heard anything like it and worried that current jazz might be beyond what I could hear. When I listened to Mingus Ah Um, I felt as if I were saved. That record taught me a lot about what music could do - what feelings it could touch. And fortunately, I gave the Rollins a couple more listens and was able to hear a lot of what was on that record too.

Mingus Plays Piano might be an unusual choice. It just sounds to me as if he were playing for himself and I enjoy that sort of thing.

I thought it might be interesting if people listed their favorite three Mingus recordings, perhaps with a bit of commentary.

I know that three is a tough limitation, but narrowing it down can make you think a little more.

Hope some of you are interested.

Edited March 10, 2010 by paul secor

[Guy Berger]

Blues & Roots - I enjoy this one the most. The combination of intense earthiness with sophisticated arrangements kills me every time. Plus, I like Mingus's medium-sized groups more than his small ensembles. Plus I love the lineup here.

Mingus Dynasty - The widest breadth of compositions, even wider than Ah Um. Again, medium-sized ensemble.

Black Saint & the Sinner Lady- Love the Ellingtonian feel. Larger group.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Guy

[porcy62]

I don't know wich are my favorite Mingus records, I surely can't choose only three.

BUT I remember very well wich were the records that hooked me at times.

Black Saint And Sinner Lady

It was the proof for me, along with A Love Supreme, that jazz could reach the same level of deep complexity of a symphony.

Charles Mingus Quartet plus Max Roach (Mingus At Bohemia)

Chazz!

(I think it was a Fantasy twoofer)

For some unknown reasons I couldn't pass a day without listening at least one side of the album. There were some good energy coming from that music.

Edited March 10, 2010 by porcy62

[kh1958]

Most of Mingus' records are my favorites, but I think I've listened to these three the most:

1. Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (Candid)--the quartet record recordings with Eric Dolphy and Ted Curson.

2. The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (America)--my favorite release from the incredible 1964 European tour.

3. Changes One/Two (Atlantic)--the last great Mingus band with George Adams and Don Pullen.

Edited March 10, 2010 by kh1958

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

"Mingus dynasty" was the first I heard and I return to it with great pleasure each time.

"Ah um", "Black saint & sinner lady" and "Blues & roots" are all up there, too and "Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus" not far off. "Ah um" because of "Goodbye pork pie hat", one of the most moving pieces of music I've ever heard. "Black saint" because it's as thick as a Pharoah Sanders album. "Blues and roots" because it's so damn funky. Well, I can only make four, not three

As Guy remarked, I like Mingus' textures and sounds too. I've never got on with the solo piano LP.

Does "Money jungle" count? Duke, Max and Mingus seem to be equal partners in that one. If it does, that makes five

MG

[jlhoots]

Everything listed is fine.

I'll add:

The Clown

Tijuana Moods

[jeffcrom]

Tough, but I think I'd go with two of Paul's: Mingus Ah Um and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus. I would replace the solo piano album (which I do find interesting) with Mingus at Antibes, which I think is phenomenal: searing solos, amazing ensemble concepts, and Mingus and Dannie Richmond are telepathic.

Mingus Ah Um was also the first CM I heard, and it still sounds as good as ever to me. I have the expanded edition, but kept an old CD with the orignal edits - I like them both.

[colinmce]

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady-- What else can you say? It's utterly thrilling and just overwhelming. I could listen to it every day. Props obviously go to Charlie Mariano, but let's not forget Jerome Richardson's killer soprano work-- his first solo may be the highlight of the record for me. And Dannie Richmond is in fine, fine form too. The apogee of Mingus' conception.

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus-- I have to have a Dolphy record on here, and while he's in searing form on At Antibes and solid on Cornell 1964 and Town Hall Concert, I ultimately choose this one because I love the small group. All four cuts are fantastic, but "Folk Forms" is my favorite. This is one of Mingus' more integrated performances, so I like that about it; he's just part of the quartet and the interplay is superior. Ted Curson and Dolphy make a great reductive front line.

Mingus Ah-Um-- I wish I could put something less obvious in this slot; Pithecantropus Erectus, Blues & Roots or At the Cafe Bohemia/Mingus Quintet would all be fine choices, but I cannot deny how much I enjoy this record, though interestingly enough it took many times through to really come to get it. A truly peerless programme, though, this is. The alto/tenors/trombone frontline makes it truly distinctive and Mingus may have never played better. Booker Ervin is a highlight throughout and John Handy holds his own, but Horace Parlan's solos are always welcome.

What I really, truly enjoy and admire about all of Mingus' work though is the heights to which he pushes his sidemen. There are truly few (or no) boring performances on his classic sides and you can simply feel his direction in everything he did. For me, only Miles can be said to be a better small group leader.

[jazzbo]

East Coastin'

Ah Um

Plays Piano

Edited March 10, 2010 by jazzbo

[Hot Ptah]

Ah Um

Dynasty

Tijuana Moods

[Free For All]

Let My Children Hear Music, my fav

Ah Um

Blues & Roots

[Joe]

I'll cheat...

Studio:

-- EAST COASTING

-- PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS

-- LET MY CHILDREN HEAR MUSIC

Live:

-- AT THE BOHEMIA

-- AT ANTIBES

-- JAZZ PORTRAITS: MINGUS IN WONDERLAND

Edited March 11, 2010 by Joe

[AllenLowe]

1) Stormy Weather

2) Stormy Weather

3) Stormy Weather

[John L]

Blues and Roots

Live in Antibes

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus

[Shawn]

East Coasting

Blues & Roots

Mingus Ah Um

[dave9199]

Tijuana Moods

Ah Um

Mingus Moves

[mjzee]

There was a thread similar to this recently:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?/topic/55584-charles-mingus/page__hl__mingus

If I had to pick 3:

Mingus at the Bohemia

Mingus Ah Um

The Paris "America" Session

[JSngry]

Let My Children Hear Music, my fav

Much love for that one here too

[WorldB3]

I guess:

Mingus at the Bohemia

Pithecanhropus Erectus

Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

Black Saint is one I rarely play, its just so intense but it left such a huge impression on me I have to include it. It's hard to leave off anything live from 64 with Dolphy.

Edited March 11, 2010 by WorldB3

[Mark Stryker]

In no particular order:

Let My Children Hear Music

Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

Changes One (plus first side of Changes Two)

[brownie]

Mingus Ah Um

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus

The Great Paris Concert

Ah Um because it was the first Mingus album I loved from start to finish on its first listening, the Candid because it had the perfect quartet combination with Dolphy, and the Paris concert for its incredible music and for several personal reasons (I was lucky to be there!).

[clifford_thornton]

Blues & Roots

The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady

The Paris Session (Pithycanthropus Erectus / Blue Bird)

[king ubu]

Mingus Ah Um

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus

The Great Paris Concert

Ah Um because it was the first Mingus album I loved from start to finish on its first listening, the Candid because it had the perfect quartet combination with Dolphy, and the Paris concert for its incredible music and for several personal reasons (I was lucky to be there!).

That's a fine choice, and mine as well... or mine would have "Black Saint" instead of the "Great Paris Concert", but I can't quite decide... three Mingus recordings are about 10% of how many I badly need!

[JohnS]

Mingus Ah Um

East Coasting

They're the easy ones.

Tie for third place - Pithecanthropus Erectus and Tijuana Moods.

[Cyril]

Charles Mingus Present Charles Mingus

Ah Um

At Antibes