Charles Mingus (1922-1979), nicknamed “the angry man of jazz” and still today an icon of the jazz world, was known for his intimidating temperament. His musical talent on double bass, as musical arranger, bandleader or composer, was immense. His music touches on all kinds of jazz styles, from free, blues, hard bop, big band or third stream, influenced by Duke Ellington’s orchestrations, but always has an element of irritation and danger. Influenced by New Orleans jazz, Mingus also fancied collective improvisation (as we can hear on various albums on this collection). This exciting box set is a journey through his fascinating music, displaying all of his artistic mutations and idiosyncrasies. Mingus is accompanied here by a host of all-time greats including Max Roach, Teo Macero, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Bud Powell.
CD 1: Jazz Composers Workshop / Jazz Collaborations
CD 2: Mingus Presents
CD 3: Mingus At The Bohemia / Pre Bird
CD 4: Ah Um
CD 5: Pithecanthropus Erectus / Mingus Three
CD 6: The Clown / Tijuana Moods
CD 7: East Coasting / A Modern Jazz / Symposium Of Music And Poetry
CD 8: Mingus At Wonderland / C. M. Sextet / C. M. Sextette
CD 9: Blues And Roots
CD 10: Dynasty
CD1
JAZZ COMPOSERS WORKSHOP
– Charlie Mingus, Wally Cirillo, Teo Macero & John La Porta
1. Purple Heart (Mingus) 5.39
2. Gregorian Chant (Mingus) 2.53
3. Eulogy for Rudy Williams (Mingus) 6.25
4. Tea for Two (Caesar / Youmans) 6.22
5. Smog L.A. (Cirillo) 3.17
6. Level Seven (Cirillo) 4.19
7. Transeason (Cirillo) 4.25
8. Rose Geranium (Cirillo) 4.15
9. Getting Together (Mingus) 4.43
Charlie Mingus double bass
John La Porta alto sax on 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9
Kenny Clarke drums on 5, 6, 7 & 8
Rudy Nichols drums on 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9
Mal Waldron piano on 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9
Wally Cirillo piano on 5, 6, 7 & 8
Teo Macero tenor sax on 5, 6, 7 & 8, baritone sax on 9
George Barrow tenor sax & baritone on 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9
1 to 4 Recorded in New York – October, 31, 1954, 5 to 9 Recorded in New York
January, 30, 1955
JAZZ COLLABORATIONS – Charles Mingus & Thad Jones
10. One More (Jones) 4.03
11. I Can´t Get Started (Gershwin / Duke) 6.12
12. More of the Same (Jones) 5.19
13. Get out of Town (Porter) 7.35
Charles Mingus double bass
Max Roach drums
John Dennis piano
Thad Jones trumpet
Recorded in 1955
Total Time 65.31
CD2
Mingus Presents – Charlie Mingus
1. Folk Forms, No. 1 (Mingus) 13.07
2. Original Faubus Fable (Mingus) 9.20
3. What Love (Mingus) 15.24
4. All the Things You Could Be by Now If Sigmund Freud‘s Wife 8.36
Was Your Mother (Mingus)
Eric Dolphy alto saxophone, bass clarinet
Charles Mingus bass,
Dannie Richmond drums
Ted Curson Trumpet
Recorded 20th October 1960
Total Time 46.29
CD3
MINGUS AT THE BOHEMIA – Charles Mingus
feat. Eddie Bert, Mal Waldron,
George Barrow & Max Roach
1. Jump Monk (Mingus) 6.56
2. Serenade in Blue (Gordon / Warren) 6.05
3. Percussion Discussion (Roach / Mingus) 8.41
4. Work Song (Mingus) 6.31
5. Septemberly (Dubin / Warren) 7.09
6. All the Things You C-Sharp (Hammerstein / Kern) 6.59
Charles Mingus double bass Max Roach drums on 3
Willie Jones drums Mal Waldron piano
George Barrow tenor sax
Eddie Bert trombone
Recorded at Café Bohemia, New York, December 23, 1955
PRE BIRD – Charles Mingus
7. Take the ‘A’ Train (Strayhorn) 3.39
8. Prayer for Passive Resistance (Mingus) 3.54
9. Eclipse (Mingus) 4.00
10. Mingus Fingus No. 2 (Mingus) 3.38
11. Weird Nightmare (Mingus) 3.40
12. Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me (Ellington / Russel) 3.40
13. Bemoanable Lady (Mingus) 4.27
14. Half-Mast Inhibition (Mingus) 8.14
Charles Mingus (b) Clark Terry, Marcus Belgrave, Ted Curson, Richard Gene Williams,
Hobart Dotson (tp) Slide Hampton, Jimmy Knepper, Eddie Bert,
Charles „Majeed“ Greenlee (tb) Eric Dolphy, John LaPorta, Bill Barron, Joe Farrell,
Yusef Lateef, Danny Bank, Booker Ervin (sax)
Robert DiDomenica, Eric Dolphy, Yusef Lateef (fl)
Don Butterfield (tuba) Roland Hanna or
Paul Bley (p) Lorraine Cusson (voc)
Charles McCracken (cello) Harry Schulman (oboe)
Sticks Evans, Dannie Richmond, Max Roach,
George Scott (dr) Gunther Schuller (conductor)
Recorded at Plaza Sound, New York City May 24+25, 1960
Total Time 77.34
CD4
Ah Um – Charles Mingus
1. Better Git It in Your Soul (Mingus) 7.23
2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Mingus) 5.44
3. Boogie Stop Shuffle (Mingus) 5.03
4. Self-Portrait in Three Colors (Mingus) 3.10
5. Open Letter to Duke (Mingus) 5.51
6. Bird Calls (Mingus) 6.18
7. Fable of Faubus (Mingus) 8.14
8. Pussy Cat Dues (Mingus) 9.15
9. Jelly Roll (Mingus) 6.18
Charles Mingus bass John Handy Alto Saxophone, Clarinet
Shafi Hadi Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone Dannie Richmond Drums
Horace Parlan Piano Booker Ervin Tenor Saxophone
Jimmy Knepper, Willie Dennis Trombone
Recorded at 30th Street Studio, NYC
May 5, 1959 (1+6-9) – May 12, 1959 (2-5)
Total Time 57.18
CD5
PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS – The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop
1. Pithecanthropus Erectus (Mingus) 10.38
2. A Foggy Day (G. Gershwin / I. Gershwin) 7.50
3. Profile of Jackie (Mingus) 3.12
4. Love Chant (Mingus) 14.56
Charles Mingus double bass
Jackie McLean alto sax
Willie Jones drums
Mal Waldron piano
J. R. Monterose tenor sax
Recorded at Audio-Video Studios, New York, January 30, 1956
MINGUS THREE – Charles Mingus with Hampton Hawes & Dannie Richmond
5. Yesterdays (Harbach / Kern) 4.18
6. Back Home Blues (Mingus) 5.34
7. I Can´t Get Started (Duke / Gershwin) 6.33
8. Hamp´s New Blues (Hawes) 3.57
9. Summertime (G. Gershwin / I. Gershwin / DuBose / Heyward) 4.43
10. Dizzy Moods (Mingus) 6.56
11. Laura (Mercer / Raskin) 6.35
Charles Mingus double bass
Dannie Richmond drums
Hampton Hawes piano
Recorded in New York, July 9, 1957
Total Time 75.13
CD6
THE CLOWN – Charles Mingus
1. Haitian Fight Song (Mingus) 12.07
2. Blue Cee (Mingus) 7.56
3. Reincarnation of a Lovebird (Mingus) 8.37
4. The Clown (Mingus) 12.15
Charles Mingus double bass
Curtis Porter alto & tenor sax
Dannie Richmond drums
Wade Legge piano
Jimmy Knepper trombone
Recorded in 1957
TIJUANA MOODS – Charlie Mingus
5. Dizzy Moods (Mingus) 5.55
6. Ysabel´s Table Dance (Mingus) 10.30
7. Tijuana Gift Shop (Mingus) 3.52
8. Los Mariachis (The Street Musicians) (Mingus) 10.25
9. Flamingo (Mingus) 5.39
Charles Mingus double bass Curtis Porter alto sax Ysabel Morel castanets
Dannie Richmond drums Bill Triglia piano Jimmy Knepper trombone
Clarence Shaw trumpet Lonnie Elder voice Frank Dunlop precussion
Recorded July 18 & August 6, 1957
Total Time 77.19
CD7
EAST COASTING – Charlie Mingus
1. Memories of You (Blake / Razaf) 4.31
2. East Coasting (Mingus) 5.16
3. West Coast Ghost (Mingus) 10.36
4. Celia (Mingus) 7.56
5. Conversation (Mingus) 5.34
6. Fifty-First Street Blues (Mingus) 5.51
Charlie Mingus double bass Bill Evans piano Shafi Hadi alto & tenor sax
Dannie Richmond drums Jimmy Kneeper trombone Clarence Shaw trumpet
Recorded in New York, August 1957
A MODERN JAZZ SYMPOSIUM OF MUSIC AND POETRY – Charlie Mingus
7. Scenes in the City (Mingus) 11.57
8. Neuroog (Mingus) 4.54
9. New York Sketchbook (Elders / Hughes / Mingus) 8.57
10. Duke´s Choice (Mingus) 6.29
11. Slippers (Mingus) 3.30
Charles Mingus double bass
Dannie Richmond drums
Bob Hammer piano on 7
Horace Parlan piano
Shafi Hadi tenor & alto sax
Jimmy Kneeper trombone
Charles Mingus
Clarence Shaw trumpet
Bill Hardman trumpet on 8
Recorded in New York, October 1957
Total Time 75.33
CD8
MINGUS IN WONDERLAND – Charles Mingus
1. Nostalgia in Times Square (Mingus) 12.21
2. I Can´t Get Started (Gershwin / Duke) 10.11
3. No Private Income Blues (Mingus) 12.53
4. Alice´s Wonderland (Mingus) 8.57
Charles Mingus double bass
John Handy alto sax
Dannie Richmond drums
Richard Wyands piano
Booker Ervin tenor sax,
Recorded at the Nonagon Art Gallery, New York, January 16, 1959
CHARLES MINGUS SEXTET
5. The Texas Hop (Mingus / Griffin) 2.52
6. Baby, Take a Chance with Me (Mingus) 3.09
7. Lonesome Woman Blues (Griffin) 3.13
8. Swingin´an Echo (Mingus) 3.10
Charles Mingus double bass
Roy Porter drums
Robert Mosley piano
Maxwell Davis tenor sax
William Woodman tenor sax
N. R. Bates trumpet
Oradell Mitchell vocals on 5 & 7
Everett Pettis vocals on 6
Recorded in 1945
CHARLES MINGUS SEXTETTE
9. Ain´t Jivin´Blues (Mingus / Cryor) 2.59
10. Baby, Take a Chance with Me (Mingus) 2.55
11. Shuffle Bass Boogie (Mingus) 3.00
12. Weird Nightmare (Mingus) 3.07
Charles Mingus double bass
Willie Smith alto sax
Gene Porter baritone sax & clarinet
Lee Young drums
Buddy Harper guitar
Wilbert Baranco piano
Lucky Thompson tenor sax
Henry Cocker trombone
John Plonsky trumpet
Karl George trumpet
Claude Trenier vocals, Recorded in 1946
Total Time 68.47
CD9
BLUES & ROOTS – Charles Mingus
1. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (Mingus)a 5.46
2. Cryin´Blues (Mingus) 5.04
3. Moanin´ (Mingus) 8.05
4. Tensions (Mingus) 6.33
5. My Jelly Roll Soul (Mingus) 6.52
6. E´s Flat Ah´s Flat Too (Mingus) 6.45
Charles Mingus double bass
Dannie Richmond drums
Horace Parlan piano
Mal Waldron piano
John Handy alto sax
Jackie McLean alto sax
Pepper Adams baritone sax
Booker Ervin tenor sax
Jimmy Kneeper trombone
Willie Dennis trombone
Recorded in New York, February 5, 1959
Total Time 39.06
CD10
DYNASTY
1. Slop (Mingus) 6.17
2. Diane (Mingus) 7.32
3. Song with Orange (Mingus) 6.51
4. Gunslinging Bird (Mingus) 5.14
5. Things Aint What They Used to Be (Ellington / Mercer / Persons) 7.36
6. Far Wells, Mill Valley (Mingus) 6.15
7. New Now Know How (Mingus) 4.14
8. Mood Indigo (Bigard / Ellington / Mills) 8.14
9. Put Me in the Dungeon (Mingus) 2.55
Charles Mingus (b) John Handy (as, cl) Booker Ervin, Benny Golson (ts)
Jerome Richardson (sax, fl) Don Ellis, Dick Williams (tp)
Jimmy Knepper (tb) Roland Hanna (p) Teddy Charles (vib)
Maurice Brown, Seymour Barab (cello) Dannie Richmond (dr)
Recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City, on Nov. 1+13, 1959
Total Time 55.10