Mingus Moves

[dave9199]

I've been listening to most of Mingus's 70's albums lately and Mingus Moves sticks out to me as very good. Yes Changes 1 & 2 are great, but I think this one gets looked over because of those. I don't like vocals on jazz songs, but the melody on the title track, Moves, is great. Even the words aren't that bad. I can't recall the songs as I was listening to a tape of it, but I liked every song on it. Mingus wrote only, I believe, 3 songs on it.

[SEK]

I agree that "Mingus Moves" is good, but I play "Changes 1" and "Changes 2" more often.

FWIW, my nomination for most overlooked '70s Mingus album is "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion", especially the first side.

[kh1958]

That's the first Mingus record I bought, when it was released. It's a fantastic recording.

[Swinger]

Good to hear your encouraging opinions.Mingus Moves is going to be my next Mingus cd that I'm going to buy.

[jazzbo]

Well, it certainly is no "Let My Children Hear Music!" But it's cool. . . I don't spin it that often and couldn't really tell you why.

[JSngry]

I think Mingus might have still been on medication when this was recorded. That, and the then-newness of the group (still to undergo some more changes before settling into the classic Adams-Walrath front line) make for a session that,although perfectly fine, lacks, imo, that little something "extra" that a really great Mingus date has. Not really unfocused, just not fully focused by Mingus-ian standards. The diverse compositional input perhaps works against that full focus, although I played "Opus Four" in one of my bands back in the early '80s.

It's a good side though, for sure. And it was his return to Atlantic, the label I think most of us (?) reflexively associate him being with.

[JohnS]

I'm sorry to say that "Mingus Moves" and "Changes" come well down my list of preferred Mingus titles. Not that there's much wrong with them, they lack a bit of the real Mingus exitement perhaps, it's just that the earlier things are more to my taste.

[dsgtrane]

To my ears I always thought "Mingus Moves" sounded as much a Pullen-Adams 4tet recording as a Mingus one, not surprising when you look at the personnel.

As a P-A fanatic, I certainly don't mind.

[kh1958]

Personally, I find the date to be very exciting. I love Canon, Opus 3, and Opus 4, as well as the compositions by Adams and Pullen, both of whom sound great. The trumpet player does leave something to be desired. Not at the same level as Changes, but then practically nothing is.

[BFrank]

I like it a lot.

[dave9199]

Listened to it again today and the song after Moves, the ending melody is really great.

[Teasing the Korean]

Bumping this old topic.  I'm spinning this one for the first time in ages, maybe in 10 years, and I'm totally digging it.  I tend to listen to earlier Mingus in general.  This has some really nice compositions on it. 

[felser]

1 hour ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Bumping this old topic.  I'm spinning this one for the first time in ages, maybe in 10 years, and I'm totally digging it.  I tend to listen to earlier Mingus in general.  This has some really nice compositions on it. 

Yes, I have had this around for 40-something years and have always liked this one a lot!  Very underrated, does not get the love the Changes albums do.  

[sidewinder]

Big favourite of mine - had it on vinyl for many years and recently picked up the Japanese mid price European CD issue, which sounds great. Danny Richmond is outstanding on it IMO - wasn’t this his first jazz session after some years playing rock?  Adams and Pullen are in good form too. Also like the compositions on this one.

I prefer it to the ‘Changes 1 and 2’ releases but will have to revisit those.

Edited March 11, 2018 by sidewinder

[Teasing the Korean]

I confess, I don't have Changes 1 or 2, but I really love this record.  I recognize enough "Mingusisms" on here, but it also gels on its own terms. 

[Gheorghe]

It´s natural that I like very much Mingus 70´s work, which is natural that was the time we heard him....,

But "Changes 1 /2" I would say would set the pace for the tour programm. Sue´s Changes was part of every show.

On Mingus Moves it sounds that the group still had not arrived. If I remember well, the trumpet player still was not Walrath, it was somone else less known.

And what I miss most is that though Dannie Richmond had just returned , you don´t have the famous drums bass interaction.

The Don Pullen Composition "New Comer" is the best work. I hard them perform it after Mingus´ death.

[JSngry]

I still think that Mingus was still on his meds when they made this one. What was it that sue said that she knew that Mingus was "back", that he was hollering at the band again?

[Gheorghe]

9 minutes ago, JSngry said:

I still think that Mingus was still on his meds when they made this one. What was it that sue said that she knew that Mingus was "back", that he was hollering at the band again?

Yes that´s possible. I think in one of the biographies about Mingus (I think it was the one written by Brian Priestley) Dannie Richmond is quoted as saying some words about the album, that it was done just after he came back into the band and though it´s obvious that Mingus was not in full action on that album, Dannie was so kind to tell the press, that he thinks it was his own fault that the album didn´t come off that well.

I have not seen the Mingus bands from the early 70s, but I think from 1975 the bands were really powerful, first the one with Adams/Puller, and then the one with Ricky Ford and Bob Neloms. But between Pullen and Neloms at least for a short time was Danny Mixon, I think that´s the band that did Europe in ´76....., one year later it was Neloms .....

[medjuck]

This discussion convinced me to download the record (I think it may be the only officially released Mingus record I didn't have.  After one listen I really like it-- mainly because  it's a great Don Pullen record. 

[Teasing the Korean]

3 hours ago, medjuck said:

This discussion convinced me to download the record (I think it may be the only officially released Mingus record I didn't have.  After one listen I really like it-- mainly because  it's a great Don Pullen record. 

I wonder if people attach too many expectations to the record because of Mingus's name.  It is a great record on its own terms, even if it doesn't deliver what you might want from a more typical Mingus album.  The album seems more introspective, and perhaps more introverted, than many other Mingus albums. 

[kh1958]

I had no expectations, as it was the first Mingus record I ever heard when I bought it in 1974. From the very first track on the very first listen, I found it immediately gripping, and nothing has changed since.

Edited March 12, 2018 by kh1958

[jeffcrom]

17 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

On Mingus Moves it sounds that the group still had not arrived. If I remember well, the trumpet player still was not Walrath, it was somone else less known.

This was Ronald Hampton's only shot at the big time, I think. Shortly after this session one of his parents became ill and he moved back to Atlanta to take care of him or her. He is now a substitute teacher in the Atlanta school system, and a band teacher friend of mine says the kids love it when he subs in music class.

 

Edited March 12, 2018 by jeffcrom

[kh1958]

Marcus Belgrave  is also on the album.

[mikeweil]

Belgrave played on Changes One & Two, Mingus' next albums for Atlantic.

Edited March 13, 2018 by mikeweil

[JSngry]

No, that was Walrath, wasn't it? He only soloed on one tune, though.