Mingus expanded reissue, Modern Jazz Symposium of Poetry and Music

[kh1958]

A Modern Jazz Symposium On Music & Poetry

Charles Mingus

NEWLAND003

October 28, 2022

• Vinyl 2×LP

  Pre-order $53.99
   
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  • Mastered from the original tape transfers by Kevin Gray
  • Expanded Double LP edition featuring four rare bonus tracks
  • Printed & Pressed at Pallas on 180 gram vinyl and housed in a deluxe gatefold reverse-board jacket
  • Featuring rare photographs and words from original pianist Bob Hammer
  • Officially licensed from Bethlehem / BMG and approved by the Charles Mingus estate

  Estimated release date: October 28, 2022

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1957, a mammoth year for Mingus. He was on fire, recording several seminal titles including The Clown, Mingus Three, Tijuana Moods, East Coasting and A Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music And Poetry. 

Now, with the support of the Charles Mingus Estate, we are proud to present for the first time, the most expansive LP edition of A Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music And Poetry to date. A wonderful set featuring an all star band alternating throughout of Jimmy Knepper (trombone), Shafi Hadi (tenor and alto sax), Bill Hardman and Clarence Shaw (trumpet), Dannie Richmond (drums), Horace Parlan and Bob Hammer (piano), with narration by the fabulous Mel Stewart. 

This is the ultimate edition, including all available outtakes and material related to the session, the recordings have been remastered from the original tape transfers and lacquers cut by Kevin Gray, housed in a gatefold sleeve on reverse-board finish and printed by Pallas.

A stunning album which is sometimes overlooked from the vast Mingus catalogue, however it emanates from one of his most creative periods and today stands out as a sublime conceptual recording.

[felser]

Any thoughts on what the four bonus tracks would be?

[kh1958]

That's what I was wondering too.

[jazzbo]

Here are three that have been issued so far:

6		Wouldn't You Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie	8:42
7		Billie's Bounce Written-By – Charlie Parker Written-By – Charlie Parker	9:20
8		Slippers (Alternate Take)                                                                  3:49

Edited September 10, 2022 by jazzbo

[felser]

Thanks. Those aren't going to draw me in to a repurchase.

[colinmce]

The least interesting Mingus date by far imo. I guess that's a choice.

[AllenLowe]

if it's from the original tapes and mastered in highest resolution, that is significant. The prior Bethlehem reissues are not bad, but this would be indispensable.

[jazzbo]

I have the Solid Records Japan cd version (have almost the entire Bethlehem catalog in their releases) and those sound quite good to me. 

I'm not in the market for an LP reissue of this material but if it came out on cd. . ..

Edited September 10, 2022 by jazzbo

[Guy Berger]

1 hour ago, colinmce said:

The least interesting Mingus date by far imo. I guess that's a choice.

Disagree… everything I’ve heard by this 1957 band is at least very good and often excellent.  Better than either the 1965 or early 1970s bands.

[felser]

2 hours ago, colinmce said:

The least interesting Mingus date by far imo. I guess that's a choice.

Have you listened to the trio one with Hampton Hawes recently?  Mingus never released a "bad" album, but that one is so "plain".  Compare it with "Money Jungle" and two different worlds.  As an example by contrast to the completely "fine" Hawes trio, the 1962 Town Hall recordings are a train wreck, but a fascinating one.

[mikeweil]

1 hour ago, jazzbo said:

I'm not in the market for an LP reissue of this material but if it came out on cd. . ..

Same here.

[JSngry]

Yes to the record, no to the pricey-ass LP. 

[Gheorghe]

I must have this, thanks for announcing. 

[miles65]

20 hours ago, jazzbo said:

Here are three that have been issued so far:

6		Wouldn't You Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie	8:42
7		Billie's Bounce Written-By – Charlie Parker Written-By – Charlie Parker	9:20
8		Slippers (Alternate Take)                                                                  3:49

Looking on the website the forth extra title is: Scenes in the city Single edit 3:20.

Not enough to tempt me.

Lookin at the timing this LP reissue uses the mono edits for Scenes in the city, N.Y. Sketckbook and Nourog.

The differ from the stereo edits. From the Onttonen Mingus website: 

Additional information by Uwe Weiler (September 4, 1997):

Mingus re Bethlehem/Modern Jazz Symposium:
I was working on the topic in July '97, at the time when I was happy
to purchase the original mono release Bethlehem BCP-6026, maroon label,
deep groove, BCP-12-6026-A-R1 (side 1) BCP-12-6026-B-R1 (side 2) on wax,
which I was in search for more than 20 years. I compared the original
release with the official US cd re-issue, edition 1997, Bethlehem
20-40092 stereo, which contents, by the way, also one alternate and
two new tunes. Indeed, there are some different segments within the
tracks SCENES IN THE CITY, NOUROOG and NEW YORK SKETCHBOOK if compared
with the mono and stereo releases.
Obviously, the mono release was the more satisfying edit for Mingus,
but due to the relatively new and young stereo technique at the time
in October 1957, the stereo tapes had some awful dropouts, either by
the mike or/and by the tape itself. They had to make some re-recordings
which had to fit to the timing of the mono edition.
Anyhow, there's no complete new take of the three mentioned tracks
but there are sometimes very long alternate take segments within the
tracks which are different to the more known stereo releases.

NEW YORK SKETCHBOOK mono-8:48 stereo-8:51
The mono take has a 4:52 "middle part" which is a different
take insert compared with the stereo take's middle part 4:33
a. mono   0:00-1:17 same take insert
b. stereo 0:00-1:17 same take insert
a. mono   1:17-6:09 different take insert
b. stereo 1:17-5:50 different take insert
a. mono   6:09-8:48 same take insert, but ChinaTown interlude: 0:30
b. stereo 5:50-8:51 same take insert, but ChinaTown interlude: 0:52
ChinaTown interlude a. 0:22 cut from b.

NOUROOG mono-5:02 stereo 4:49
The mono take uses a different take insert 1:27 during Hadi's
ts solo compared with the stereo take's insert 1:14
a. mono   0:00-2:20 same take insert, Hadi solo starts at 1:51
b. stereo 0:00-2:20 same take insert, Hadi solo starts at 1:51
a. mono   2:20-3:47 different take insert, different Hadi solo
b. stereo 2:20-3:34 different take insert, different Hadi solo
a. mono   3:47-5:02 same take insert 1:15
b. stereo 3:34-4:49 same take insert 1:15
Hadi's solo at the very end of the tune is the same edit...

SCENES IN THE CITY mono-11:23 stereo-11:49
The mono release uses both a different take insert in the
beginning 2:49 and the end 2:14 compared with the stereo take's
beginning 3:05 and end 2:24, whereas the "middle part" 6:20 has the
same take insert in mono and stereo releases.
a. mono   0:00-2:49 different take insert
b. stereo 0:00-3:05 different take insert
a. mono   2:49-9:09 same take insert, 1), Knepper solo starts at 8:38
b. stereo 3:05-9:25 same take insert, 1), Knepper solo starts at 8:53
a. mono   9:09-11:23 different take insert, Knepper solo different
b. stereo 9:25-11:49 different take insert, Knepper solo different
1) "...Now, here I am standing at my window in my old building..."

The original mono release has a far more superior sound compared with 
the stereo recordings.

Yet some additional information by Uwe Weiler (December 28, 1997):

Meanwhile, to come back to the subject MODERN JAZZ SYMPOSIUM,
I've bought quite a lot of various LP and CD pressings in order
to check as to which extent the individual pressings are using
stereo or mono versions of SCENES OF THE CITY, NY SKETCHBOOK and
NOUROOG.

Available at my file are now:

1.  Bethlehem(US) BCP6026 MONO Orig. LP
2.  Bethlehem(US) SBCP6026 STEREO (Orig. LP only on cassette copy)
3.  Polydor Special(GB) 545111 STEREO LP (p '60s): Duke's Choice
4.  Polydor(D) 2335 079 MONO 2 LP (p '70s): Jazz History Vol.19
5.  Affinity(GB) AFF 105 MONO LP (p 1983): Scenes In The City
6.  Affinity(F) CHARLY 19 MONO CD (p 1986): New York Sketchbook
7.  Bethlehem/ZYX(D) BET6015-2 MONO CD (p '90s): A Mod.Jazz Symp...
8.  Bethlehem(US) 20-40092 STEREO CD (p 1994):A Mod.Jazz Symp...
9.  Giants of Jazz(I) 53161 MONO CD (p 1995): Fables of Faubus
10. Charly(D) CDGR 131 SEREO CD (p 1997): A Mod. Jazz Symp...

Edited September 11, 2022 by miles65
typo

[kh1958]

The recent "premium" LP releases of Mingus Three, The Black Saint... and Mingus 5x have all sounded great.

[mjzee]

7 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

The recent "premium" LP releases of Mingus Three, The Black Saint... and Mingus 5x have all sounded great.

I've always thought that Mingus 5x sounded distorted, as if the recording levels went into the red too often.  Were they able to tame that on the recent release?

[kh1958]

15 minutes ago, mjzee said:

I've always thought that Mingus 5x sounded distorted, as if the recording levels went into the red too often.  Were they able to tame that on the recent release?

Not sure, as I always enjoyed the sound of the impulse LP.

[ghost of miles]

I’d definitely be interested in a CD version of this reissue—like Jsngry and Lon, no interest in the vinyl.

[medjuck]

Anything that adds to very limited amount of Clarence (Lee) Shaw  we have on record is fine by me.