Search - Charles Mingus :: Charles Mingus Finest Hour

Full Palette Mingus

Johnny Hodges | Clark Fork, ID United States | 12/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like something you can really bite into, check out these 14 tight compositions by various sized groups featuring Mingus in one or more of his roles as bass player, piano player, composer, and band leader. And he seriously excelled at all those positions. Mingus manages to mix elements of soul, funk, swing, and bop like a perfect chef, with no one element dominating the composite nature of the blend. Highlights include a Gil Evans led version of the classic "If I Love Again" with Charlie Parker on alto sax and the Dave Lambert singers. "Weird Nightmares" is a spooky chant, with outre alto player Eric Dolphy featured in a mid-sized group. A gorgeous big band version of Mingus' "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" Lester Young tribute that's even better than the one from the classic "Mingus Ah Um" album. Also true of the rip snortin' version of "Better Get It In Your Soul", also from MAU. "Group Dancers" begins with a long piano solo by Mingus, with a few commercial, almost dare I say Henry Mancinish, interludes, followed by a Spanish flavored statement by the band, and then they just all kinda go into a freeform (but never formless) interchange that slows back down into a some heavy blues sax, the band dropping in and out behind the solo. Look, a proper discussion of all the cuts, or even a listing of all the fabulous musicians, would take a multi-page essay, but the bottom line here is that whatever Mingus touches ends up real special. All in all, a broad spectrum of classic jazz music here that you'll likely never tire of. Well worth the modest price just for "Better Get It In Your Soul".



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