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Mingus discography question


bertrand

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Yesterday, I saw the following CD at the daedalus outlet in Columbia, MD (www.daedalusbooks.com).

Jazz All Stars: Live in Hi-Fi—1950s FM Broadcasts

There are three cuts with Mingus: Confirmation, Just Bohemia, and What Is This Thing Called Love. The CD listed a recording date of 1957 (Cafe Bohemia), but the only personnel listed was Phineas Newborn added on 'Love'.

Does anyone know who plays on this? I'm wondering if it's the 1956 Bohemia air check with Jackie McLean. If so, I need to go back and get it since (as I posted on the old board), I'm trying to collect every scrap of Jackie Mac.

Has anyone heard this? How bad is the sound quality?

Thanks in advance,

Bertrand.

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The Mingus discography by Lindenmaier and Salewski 'The Man Who Never Sleeps' doesn't mention this session. However, this discography is now twenty years old and probably more has come to light in the intervening years.

The only recording mentioned of Newborn and Mingus together is the soundtrack music for 'Shadows'.

Presumably the Cafe Bohemia date with McLean is from 18 August 1956. The discography has a note that it may be Ernie Henry on this date.

Sorry that it's rather negative news.

John Delaney

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  • 1 month later...

Bertrand, I ordered thsi disc from Daedelus online, & I can say with almost absolute certainty that it's Jackie, but he only solos on "Confirmation". Who's the trumpet player? Sure sounds like Bill Hardman! Newborn is featured with a guitarist on "What Is This Thing Called Love", in what seems like a set arrangement.

Sound quality on most of the broadacsts is quite good, and nothing is "rough". These are 50s broadcasts, and sound is just fine - not studio quality, but not the scratadat of earlier eras. Good stuff by all the other artists (the Jo Jones/Lucky Thompson band sounds especially fine), even if the segments are shorter than I'd prefer.

The real news for me on this date is the tune "Just Bohemia". I'm a little shakey on my "transitional-era" Mingus, but I don't recall this thing having ever been recorded. There's no solos or anything, but the piece sounds very much like something written for the CHANGES albums, a jump ahead in time, but like I sai, there's no solos on it.

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Jim, Mike,

Thanks for the info - I actually got it last week, and hadn't had a chance to post an update.

I can't believe I didn't check Brian's book - my mind has just gone since I turned 40.

It sure does sound like Jackie on both 'Confirmation' and 'Just Bohemia'. I agree with Jim that the latter tune is very interesting. From Mingus' announcement, I seem to gather that it is *not* his composition. I wonder who wrote it.

Also interesting is the jazztet's version of 'Serenata'. This is the same tune that Wayne Shorter plays on Alegria. This is the second instance I know of of a classical piece arranged by Wayne that Golson got to before him (Golson also does 'Valse Triste' under the title 'Tryst' on Stockholm Sojourn). Wayne credits it to Leroy Anderson, but the jazztet version is credited it to 'Bloom'. Danilo Perez also has a tune with that title on a CD from a few years back (must be the same tune), but it's Brad Mehldau who plays on the tune on the Shorter CD.

Jim, did you notice how the Anita O'Day set is by-passed in the liner notes?

Bertrand.

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