Charles Mingus Complete 1970s Atlantic box set

[jazzbo]

If I could just have one Mingus box set I think it would be the Debut--such varied material, great music.

Luckily, I can have all the Mingus box sets. A better situation.

[BFrank]

Prime Day deal on this box: 35% off ($51.96)

[tranemonk]

On 7/12/2023 at 1:05 AM, BFrank said:

Prime Day deal on this box: 35% off ($51.96)

The sale is still going on today after Prime Day.. I might have to grab this one at this price...

[Ken Dryden]

The Eric Dolphy collaborations are my favorites in the Mingus discography. 

 

[BFrank]

15 hours ago, tranemonk said:

The sale is still going on today after Prime Day.. I might have to grab this one at this price...

Mine arrived already 👍

[Stompin at the Savoy]

This arrived today finally from the UK.  The production is nice, with facsimile album covers.  The text of the original album notes on the back covers of the albums is absurdly small, esp for an oldster like me but the printing and paper are very good quality and photos I took of the covers are legible and clear.  The little booklet offers new liner notes by Andrew Homzy.  The print is not as tiny as the covers but as usual I photographed the booklet so I can read it without strain. The sound is remarkably good.  Going to be a 70's Mingus weekend. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Stompin at the Savoy

[srellek]

On 4/19/2023 at 5:40 PM, miles65 said:

'Big Alice' and 'The Call' on the CD version are not unissued they are on the Rhino CD version of 'Mingus Moves'. 'Music for Todo Mondo' is the only unissued take on the CD version. 

On the CD 'Cumbia & Jazz Fusion' the 2 takes of Wedding March/Slow Waltz are missing on both the LP and CD version. They are on the Rhino CD issued in 1994.

A resounding NO from me for this set.

I think the version of "Big Alice [take 1]" on the new CD set might be a different take than the one that appears on the Rhino Mingus Moves CD, which includes a trumpet solo from 1:06 - 2:01.

[sidewinder]

A bit late but I've gone for a copy of the LP version of this set. Only have 'Moves' on LP and the Changes 1 and 2 on old CDs so it will be worth it. Have to say that I never originally bought 'Cumbia..' onwards due to the widespread negative reviews at the time. In hindsight, a mistake.

Should be very good Xmas listening along with the Don Byas set !  This era of Charles Mingus was long overdue a decent reissue.

It will be nice to read the booklet in comfortable size without a magnifying glass as well.

Edited December 22, 2023 by sidewinder

[Gheorghe]

9 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

A bit late but I've gone for a copy of the LP version of this set. Only have 'Moves' on LP and the Changes 1 and 2 on old CDs so it will be worth it. Have to say that I never originally bought 'Cumbia..' onwards due to the widespread negative reviews at the time. In hindsight, a mistake.

Should be very good Xmas listening along with the Don Byas set !  This era of Charles Mingus was long overdue a decent reissue.

It will be nice to read the booklet in comfortable size without a magnifying glass as well.

I was not aware of negative reviews and I even think, that I heard the long suite Cumbia live BEFORE it was in the record shops. Mingus himself announced it as a "Movie score we just had recorded". 

Same with "Three or Four Shades of the Blues" . Well again, I have heard live the title tune, also a kind of suite, but there was no guitars and no two basses." Noddin´ Ya Head Blues" also was performed, but much faster than on the record.  

Both albums reflected what Minguts actually performed in those days, but yeah, they are somehow overproduced. 
I first was reluctant when I saw the cover of "Three or Four Shades", with all them little fotos of the musicians, and see´n a white young hippie (Corryell) and a white old man (Rowles) didn´t really encourage me. Not that I wouldn´t have dug young hippies (I also had even longer hair at that time) or old gentlemen, I was used to other images of Mingus-Musicians. 

But the review of "Three or Four Shades of the Blues" in the important magazine "JazzPodium" was positive, even if the only "negative" remark was that it is not as deep or good as "Black Saint and Sinner Lady". 
Since sure I love "Black Saint and...." it wouldn´t be my first choice Mingus album anyway, so I was content to read a good review and bought the record. 

Too bad that the following tour, planned to promote that album, was chancelled because I was prepared to take the album to the concert to get it signed from the Master Himself. 

[sidewinder]

Jogging my memory I remember listening a lot at the time to the earlier Mingus Atlantics so some of these later ones passed me by. Lukewarm reviews in some of the UK jazz press didn't help.

Never saw Mingus live (too young!) but I did catch an early Mingus Dynasty with Pullen, Adams, Knepper and Richmond. I think Aladar Pege was on bass.

Edited December 22, 2023 by sidewinder

[mikeweil]

On 12/22/2023 at 11:30 AM, sidewinder said:

Never saw Mingus live (too young!) .......

I was old enough but was late due to traffic convulsions and couldn't get in the club. George Adams was wailing while we had to leave.

[felser]

On 12/22/2023 at 5:13 AM, Gheorghe said:

it is not as deep or good as "Black Saint and Sinner Lady". 
 

Neither is almost everything else everyone's ever recorded.  'The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady' is a desert island disc for me.

[Gheorghe]

18 hours ago, felser said:

Neither is almost everything else everyone's ever recorded.  'The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady' is a desert island disc for me.

What I listen to is very dependent on the certain mood I´m in. Usually I spin "Black Saint" in a warm spring night, when you can open the windows. 

But I have not cited it as my very favourite Mingus. If I might keep only one, it would be the 3 LP set "The Great Concert of Charles Mingus", you know Dolphy, Jordan, Byard, Richmond.....

[felser]

6 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

What I listen to is very dependent on the certain mood I´m in. Usually I spin "Black Saint" in a warm spring night, when you can open the windows. 

But I have not cited it as my very favourite Mingus. If I might keep only one, it would be the 3 LP set "The Great Concert of Charles Mingus", you know Dolphy, Jordan, Byard, Richmond.....

Great Concert of...  is wonderful, the first full Mingus I ever heard (it was in my college's library browser rack).  First Mingus cut I ever heard was "Hora Decubitas" from the wonderful 'Impulse Energy Essentials' sampler collection, which opened so many pathways for me when I picked it up as a brand new jazz convert.

[kh1958]

7 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

What I listen to is very dependent on the certain mood I´m in. Usually I spin "Black Saint" in a warm spring night, when you can open the windows. 

But I have not cited it as my very favourite Mingus. If I might keep only one, it would be the 3 LP set "The Great Concert of Charles Mingus", you know Dolphy, Jordan, Byard, Richmond.....

The Great Concert is great. At some point I realized that at the time of this concert, my family lived only about 80 miles from Paris--U.S. Army stationed in Orleans. Unfortunately, I was only 6 and not yet a Mingus fan.

[Gheorghe]

18 hours ago, felser said:

Great Concert of...  is wonderful, the first full Mingus I ever heard (it was in my college's library browser rack).  First Mingus cut I ever heard was "Hora Decubitas" from the wonderful 'Impulse Energy Essentials' sampler collection, which opened so many pathways for me when I picked it up as a brand new jazz convert.

Very similar to my entry in Mingus´ music. When I still was not a jazz fan, maybe 12 or 13, someone had a sampler with Jazz History and the only thing I dug was the last two tracks: "Milestones" from the Miles Davis sextet, and one of Mingus´ late fifties tracks from those albums "Dynasty" or "Ah Um" and that´s where I started to become a jazz fan with ambitions to play myself. So I bought first a Miles Davis album (Steamin´) and then somebody had "Great Concert" but stated that it´s too advanced for him, I gave it a try and that it was !! The best music I had heard in my live util then ! 

16 hours ago, kh1958 said:

The Great Concert is great. At some point I realized that at the time of this concert, my family lived only about 80 miles from Paris--U.S. Army stationed in Orleans. Unfortunately, I was only 6 and not yet a Mingus fan.

Same here in other surroundings: In the summer of 1964 when I was 5 years old, we did our holiday in France, while Bud Powell was performing in a Beach Resort called "Edenville". To bad that I was only 5 and not yet a Powell fan ! 

[sidewinder]

I've just cracked open the LP version of the set but so far, pretty pleased with it. Box and LPs are nicely done, good and easily readable booklet. Spinning 'Mingus Moves' and it sounds crisper and clearer than my old US Atlantic original. Good remastering job by Air Studios - this is a really good set !

Edited December 26, 2023 by sidewinder