looking for Charles Mingus titles

[TheMusicalMarine]

Greetings all

I've Mingus Ah Um, Pithencanthopus Erectus, Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, and I think At Town Hall. I enjoy all of them, but I'd like to expand. I've listened to Cumbia and Jazz Fusion, and it really wasn't to my liking. Any titles similar in sound to the above, or maybe earlier titles, that you could recommend?

Thanks

[dave9199]

A personal favorite of mine is Mingus Moves on Rhino.

[kh1958]

Mingus Dynasty is the followup recording to Mingus Ah Um on Columbia. That same year, he also recorded Blues and Roots on Atlantic, another classic.

Pithecanthropus Erectus, a 1956 recording, was followed by a string of outstanding recordings in 1957: on Atlantic, the Clown and half the tracks on Tonight at Noon, East Coasting and A Modern Jazz Symposium of Poetry and Music on Bethleham, and Tiajuana Moods on RCA.

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is the companion disc to the Black Saint on impulse, both recorded in 1963.

I'm not sure which Town Hall disc you are referring to. There is a large group concert recording that was recorded shortly before the Black Saint and Mingus Mingus ... And there is a Town Hall Concert from 1964 with Eric Dolphy. If the latter, then you will want to get the newly reissued The Great Concert of Charles Mingus, which features the same group a few weeks later in Paris.

[theteach]

Essential Mingus (in my opinion of course)

Mingus presents Charles Mingus (Candid)

The Great Concert of Mingus (Verve)

Mingus at Antibes (Atlantic)

Oh Yeah (Atlantic)

Tijuana Moods (RCA)

Lou

[pryan]

MINGUS AT ANTIBES, is the last Mingus album that I picked up. It's pretty damn good, IMO. W/ Dolphy tearing it up, as well as Booker Ervin and others (Jaki Byard, perhaps). Bud Powell also sits in on a couple of tunes, including I'll Remember April. From the '64 European Tour, I believe.

[Sundog]

Based on the titles you mentioned in your original post I suspect that you might like Mingus In Wonderland. This is a high quality album from start to finish which includes some very thoughful interplay by the entire group, and some seriously good blowing on the cut No Private Income Blues .

Also check out Mingus At Antibes. It contains a killer version of I'll Remember April with Bud Powell sitting in. Bud seems to be enjoying himself so much he doesn't want to stop (literally ).

Changes One and Changes Two are also worth checking out and are routinely mentioned as good places to start with when exploring his catalog. The songs seem to be a bit more arranged and polished to my ears, but in no way would I consider them boring or unimaginative. Nice stuff.

[Chuck Nessa]

Do not ignore the Candids.

[JSngry]

You can handle it. You're a Marine.

[J.A.W.]

Do not ignore the Candids.

Especially Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus. Wonderful.

[MartyJazz]

An absolute Mingus must is BLUES AND ROOTS (Atlantic). Recorded shortly before MINGUS AH UM, it is a stronger, more intense session with fabulous blowing by McLean, Pepper Adams, John Handy and Booker Ervin.

Other excellent late '50s Mingus are:

EAST COASTING (Bethlehem)

THE CLOWN (Atlantic)

I also highly second the previous recommendation of TIJUANA MOODS (RCA Victor). IMO, all of the above are essential Mingus.

edited for spelling

Edited December 1, 2004 by MartyJazz

[Joe]

LET MY CHILDREN HEAR MUSIC

[John B]

I would recommend grabbing the live Antibes set and Mingus x5 first. After that , grab any of the Atlantic titles you don't have, followed by as much live 1964 material as you can track down. JSngry has the right idea for where to start with that.

[AmirBagachelles]

Mingus Yesssss!!

I like all the Impulse (incl Plays Piano), Columbia, Candid and Atlantic titles. And try The Weary Blues (Langston Hughes' poem) on verve I think. CM music is wonderful unto itself and is a door to the deep and wonderful world of jazz. I couldn't have gotten along without it.

[DrJ]

I agree with many mentioned already. Don't forget also

MONEY JUNGLE

Not a "Mingus" album per se but he's a huge, fuming presence and in the company of Duke and Roach - one hell of a record.

And a more obscure favorite: MINGUS THREE, another trio but more of a sleeper in terms of notoriety, with Hampton Hawes and Dannie Richmond.

[John L]

Well, you've got all of the great recs that you need.

But do also consider picking up the Atlantic box set. You can't do much better than that.

[chris olivarez]

Mingus is one of those guys that I really haven't gotten into-that is until I checked out MINGUS AH UM and got absolutely floored!!!! These recommendations will help me get further up to speed.

[kh1958]

It's actually easy to recommend Mingus because virtually all of his recordings are great.

[pryan]

I agree with many mentioned already. Don't forget also

MONEY JUNGLE

Not a "Mingus" album per se but he's a huge, fuming presence and in the company of Duke and Roach - one hell of a record.

And a more obscure favorite: MINGUS THREE, another trio but more of a sleeper in terms of notoriety, with Hampton Hawes and Dannie Richmond.

That's a good one, eh? I'll have to grab a copy for myself. Although maybe Aric has a copy I can "borrow".

[jazzbo]

Get the Bethlehems, get the Atlantics, get the Candids, get the fifties Columbias and you'll have a good grounding.

Then. . . get the REST of them.

(I'm a Mingus FANATIC).

[king ubu]

Get the Bethlehems, get the Atlantics, get the Candids, get the fifties Columbias and you'll have a good grounding.

Then. . . get the REST of them.

(I'm a Mingus FANATIC).

word!

(another Mingus fanatic here!)

oh, put the 1964 Europe stuff also on the list of things you get BEFORE you get the rest ("Great Concert", "Mingus in Europe" 2 vols., and some others).

Same for the three Impulse albums! All terrific, in my opinion!

ubu

[brownie]

An old favorite - and one of the very best one! - that always manages to get lost in the crowd:

'Jazz Portraits' on UA/BN reissue with Booker Ervin and John Handy.