Search - Charles Mingus :: Clown

He Was A Reeeeaaal Happy Guy

wednightprayermeeting | Bellview, CA | 05/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Haitian Fight Song" is my personal sunrise anthem. If I can't quite get outta bed in the morn, I says,"Honey, puts on the galvanizer, doll." That's all it takes. But, if my little lady accidentally puts on the last track, "The Clown," I can't help but lay in bed and laugh. After all, he was a real happy guy. "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird" is ole' Charlie givin' it up to his old buddy, bop style; and "Blue Cee" is a sweet little balladic number. Definately a great Mingus album, not his best, but then again, which is? Not as intense as later period albums, and not so many hard bop influences, as in earlier albums, but pure Mingus. That is how he would have described it. He was a real happy guy. Me too."

Strong Mingus Jive

wednightprayermeeting | Bellview, CA | 09/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THis album is swingin'! The first track "Haitian Fight Song" (currently being popularized on a TV commercial, the commercial tune being recorded long after Mingus)is an original Mingus composition. Being an absolutely galvanistic tune, it should surely have you boppin' about. Intense. Masterful instrumentalism and arrangement.The second track, "Blue Cee" is a hard bopping, slighly bluesy song. A nice mellow tune with a quaint bouncy rhythm."Reincarnation Of A Lovebird" is a more of a borderline avante guard piece at points, paying tribute to, and playing with little one liners from Charlie Parker classics like "Salt Peanuts." The title track, "The Clown" is the clever story of a struggling street performer, improvisationally narrated by Jean Shepherd. Pretty entertaining, and some of the best jazz/poetry of it's time.Strong Mingus album."

Good record, but much improved in the deluxe edition.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 07/22/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The late 1950s were the beginning of a very productive time for Charles Mingus. In 1956, he recorded what many (including myself) consider his first masterpiece, "Pithecanthropus Erectus". The following year, he returned ot the studio to record what many consider his second masterpiece, "The Clown". While I'm not inclined to agree with that assessment, its still a rather good album and worthy of attention.



"The Clown" features two pieces that are rightfully amongst the most loved and revered pieces in Mingus' catalog-- the explosive "Haitian Fight Song" and "Reincarnation of a Lovebird". The former, opening with an unaccompanied bass statement features a driving, building theme stated by trombonist Jimmy Knepper and tenorman Shafi Hadi that grabs hold before melting into fantastic solos all around, particularly from Knepper. The latter, a tribute to Charlie Parker, features a fractured, arhythmic intro quoting a number of songs Bird made famous before falling into a cooled out theme.



These two are augmented by the title track, a bizarre piece featuring arhythmic playing interspersed with swinging sections over which Jean Shepherd speaks a partially improvised story about a clown that serves largely as a commentary about the cruelty of the human race. Its interesting, but largely not as essential as "Haitian Fight Song" or 'Lovebird'. The other track on the album, "Blue Cee", is the weak link on the album. A so-so piece, there were better performances on the session (more on that below) that I think would have improved the quality of the album.



"The Clown" is also noteworthy for being the first album to feature drummer Dannie Richmond, who would be Mingus' rhythm section partner for the remainder of his life, and who plays as though he's been working with Mingus for years, even though this was their first recording.



All in all, its a good album, certainly worth having for a couple of the essential tracks-- but I'd recommend the "Deluxe Edition" over this one. Augmented by two further tracks recorded at the same sessions, its a far better release."