Charles Mingus

[Quasimado]

I like LaPorta a lot; if you haven't seen it, pick up his autobiography.

I got to know him a little bit around the year 2000; he still played great.

I asked him whatever happened to Wally Cirillo: "He died from the first Swine Flu vaccine."

I enjoyed LaPorta's autobiography, but as far as his playing went, at least in the early days, for some reason

he seemed to be included in company that was out of his league - you know, the stuff with Tristano and Bird ...

Q

Edited November 6, 2009 by Quasimado

[AllenLowe]

listen to the suites on the OJC - he plays great; also, in the later years, on tenor, he had almost a Rollins-ish sound.

[jazzbo]

just to put in a word for the stuff he did with John LaPorta in the 1950s - and for which LaPorta should get great credit for helping to organize (I always felt Mingus had the need to downplay his associations with white progressive musicians of the 1950s like LaPorta, Teo Macero, Paul Bley). Listen to Elegy For Rudy Williams - gorgeous stuff.

The good people at Lonehill released this double CD set which includes material which was never issued previously.

How did Lonehill come across unissued material? From reading the threads on the board, I thought they just did redo's of stuff from previous commercial sources?

I don't know, but that's a great two cd set.

Yes, excellent! But in my opinion, it would have been better (less pirate-like) if they'd omitted some of the "bonus tracks" on disc two (mainly the Fantasy session that's part of the excellent "Theme and Variations" twofer CD, which contains a fine unreleased date that you'll miss if you stick to the Lonehill).

Omit something? Hel no!

Well, no one should just stick to the Lonehill and not buy the OJC.

[AmirBagachelles]

Who says the people at Lonehill are good? Do they pay the artists for their work?

[AllenLowe]

they are kind to animals and small children.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Hmmm... Interesting thread! Lots of food-for-thought here.

My "Top Five":

1. Changes One (I heard this band in Montreal around the time this album was released. They absolutely killed.)

2. Mingus Plays Piano

3. Mingus Ah Um (the version with the full-length tracks restored)

4. Blues & Roots

5. Mingus at Monterey

Edited November 6, 2009 by Bill Barton

[AndrewHill]

My top five (and it was very tough to choose, as I like practically everything he's done):

Pithecanthropus Erectus (Atlantic) (really, all of those Atlantic dates from that period are essential)

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Impulse!) (Black Saint is essential too)

Mingus (Candid)

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (Candid)

The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (America/Verve) (really, anything with Dolphy is essential with the Cornell Blue Note date earning an honorable mention)

[AllenLowe]

I have a Mingus question, which relates to the Slugs thread elsewhere - when I heard him there he played a version of Bluebird that was the SLOWEST tempo I have ever heard anyone play any tune in a jazz performance. It was unreal. In the years since I have tried on more than a few occasions to get my own bands to play that slowly, always unsuccessfully. Did anyone ever hear anything similar with Mingus? (Danny Richmond played in 4 on the ride symbol; people were holding their breath) -

Edited November 6, 2009 by AllenLowe

[kh1958]

Bluebird is on the America/Paris sessions with Bobby Jones, McPherson, Byard, Eddie Preston.

I've heard an extremely slow version or two of Duke Ellington's Sound of Love on live concert recordings (slower than the Changes One version).

[JSngry]

Are we talking shirley horn/jimmy scott slow or just instrumentalist slow?

[AllenLowe]

Jimmy Scott - slow slow slow - in 40 years since I don't think I've ever heard a jazz group play a non-ballad this slow.

[JSngry]

Slow is not more work than fast, but it's a helluva lot more challenging...

[king ubu]

...ride symbol...

what the hell is that? I hope it doesn't involve small children or animals!

[AllenLowe]

whoops - mean to say "phallic symbol."

I think the problem that musicians have with slow is patience - they always want to double up - I was always telling drummers not to double the time on ballads - drove me nuts.

Edited November 7, 2009 by AllenLowe

[mikelz777]

Thanks to everyone for your feedback / recommendations. Between single releases and two-fers I ended up getting:

-Ah Um

-Mingus Dynasty

-A Night At The Bohemia

-Pithecanthropus Erectus

-Tijuana Moods

-Blues & Roots

[mjzee]

Thanks to everyone for your feedback / recommendations. Between single releases and two-fers I ended up getting:

-Ah Um

-Mingus Dynasty

-A Night At The Bohemia

-Pithecanthropus Erectus

-Tijuana Moods

-Blues & Roots

Good choices; you will enjoy.