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Avg: 4.5 (267 ratings)
- Date Released: February 16, 1999
- Genre: Jazz
- Label: Columbia/Legacy
- Copyright: Originally Released 1959, 1979, 1993 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
A crucial, of-the-moment album from one of Mingus' finest bands
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We Say...
If you're looking for a first serious jazz album to listen to, this might be the one. Charles Mingus occupied a unique place in jazz, one foot planted squarely in tradition — particularly the composer's tradition of Duke Ellington — and the other in the new thing which, in 1959, when this was recorded, was in the process of coming into existence. Both tendencies are in full display here, with one of Mingus's finest bands (although he referred to it as a "workshop," which is quite accurate) running through a brace of originals that pay tribute to the past ("Open Letter to Duke," "Jelly Roll") and express the present ("Fables of Faubus" refers to the governor of Arkansas' bitter opposition to racial integration).
There are first recordings of two of Mingus' immortal classics here. "Better Git It In Your Soul" is infused with a gospel feeling, with Mingus yelling encouragement in the background, and was a shout-out to the "soul" movement in jazz, which stood in opposition to some of the more hyper-intellectual stuff on the scene. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" was Mingus' obituary for the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young, who had just died. The overwhelming sadness of the melody disguises the fact that it's absolutely of its moment in structure and harmony.
Mingus, as a bassist, relied heavily on his reedmen, and three of his best, John Handy (alto sax, clarinet), Booker Ervin (tenor sax), and Shafi Hadi (alto and tenor sax), are on board. The trombone underlying the ensemble is Jimmy Knepper on some tracks, Willie Dennis on others, piano is by the incredibly underrated Horace Parlan, and Mingus' long-time rhythm partner, Dannie Richmond, sits at the drums.
It doesn't get much better than this: I've been listening to this album for over 30 years, and I hear something new every time I sit down with it. -
They Say...
Charles Mingus' debut for Columbia, Mingus Ah Um is a stunning summation of the bassist's talents and probably the best reference point for beginners. While there's also a strong case for The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady as his best work overall, it lacks Ah Um's immediate accessibility and brilliantly sculpted individual tunes. Mingus' compositions and arrangements were always extremely focused, assimilating individual spontaneity into a firm consistency of mood, and that approach reaches an ultra-tight zenith on Mingus Ah Um. The band includes longtime Mingus stalwarts already well versed in his music, like saxophonists John Handy, Shafi Hadi, and Booker Ervin, trombonists Jimmy Knepper and Willie Dennis, pianist Horace Parlan, and drummer Dannie Richmond. Their razor-sharp performances tie together what may well be Mingus' greatest, most emotionally varied set of compositions. At least three became instant classics, starting with the irrepressible spiritual exuberance of signature tune "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul," taken in a hard-charging 6/8 and punctuated by joyous gospel shouts. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is a slow, graceful elegy for Lester Young, who died not long before the sessions. The sharply contrasting "Fables of Faubus" is a savage mockery of segregationist Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, portrayed musically as a bumbling vaudeville clown (the scathing lyrics, censored by skittish executives, can be heard on Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus). The underrated "Boogie Stop Shuffle" is bursting with aggressive swing, and elsewhere there are tributes to Mingus' three most revered influences: "Open Letter to Duke" is a suite of three tunes; "Bird Calls" is inspired by Charlie Parker; and "Jelly Roll" is an idiosyncratic yet affectionate nod to jazz's first great composer, Jelly Roll Morton. It simply isn't possible to single out one Mingus album as definitive, but Mingus Ah Um comes the closest. [The 1999 remastered reissue includes four of the original tracks in an unedited form never heard before on CD, and adds three bonus tracks not on the original LP.]
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12 Total Tracks, 72:13 Total Length
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Credits
- Booker Ervin - Saxophone // Booker Ervin - Saxophone // Booker Ervin - Sax (Tenor) // Booker Ervin - Sax (Tenor) // Booker Ervin - ? // Booker Ervin - ? // John Handy - Clarinet // John Handy - Clarinet // John Handy - Saxophone // John Handy - Saxophone // John Handy - Sax (Alto) // John Handy - Sax (Alto) // Jimmy Knepper - Trombone // Jimmy Knepper - ? // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Bass // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Piano // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Charles Mingus - Main Performer // Horace Parlan - Piano // Horace Parlan - Piano // Horace Parlan - ? // Horace Parlan - ? // Dannie Richmond - Drums // John "Captain John" Handy - Clarinet // John "Captain John" Handy - Sax (Alto) // John "Captain John" Handy - Sax (Tenor) // Willie Dennis - Trombone // Steven Berkowitz - A&R // Shafi Hadi - Sax (Alto) // Shafi Hadi - Sax (Tenor) // Michael Cuscuna - Reissue Producer // Teo Macero - Producer // Teo Macero - Original Recording Producer // Ray Moore - Engineer // Fred Plaut - Engineer // Mark Wilder - Engineer // Mark Wilder - Remixing // Mark Wilder - Remastering // Mark Wilder - Digital Remixing // Brian Priestley - Liner Notes // Don Hunstein - Photography // Seth Rothstein - Project Director // Seth Rothstein - Project Coordinator // Howard Fritzson - Art Direction // Howard Fritzson - Reissue Art Director // Howard Fritzon - Reissue Art Director // Herb Snitzer - Photography // Randall Martin - Reissue Design // Bob Parent - Photography // Rene Arsenault - Production Assistant // Rob Schwarz - Remixing // Rob Schwarz - Remastering // Rob Schwarz - Digital Remixing // Patti Matheny - A&R // Mike Cimicata - Packaging Manager // Diane Dorr Dorynek - Liner Notes
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Performers
Booker Ervin played Sax (Tenor) // Horace Parlan played Piano // Dannie Richmond played Drums // Jimmy Knepper played Trombone // John Handy played Sax (Alto) // Shafi Hadi played Sax (Tenor) // Willie Dennis played Trombone -
Other Details
- Instruments:
- Piano //
- Trombone //
- Drums //
- Sax (Alto) //
- Sax (Tenor)
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