Search - Charles Mingus :: Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife

The lost Mingus album

finulanu | Here, there, and everywhere | 07/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's too bad this one is so rare, it's quite good. Slop is probably the best known track, and is Get It In Yer Soul's little cousin. Song With Orange is underrated (the liner notes call it one of Mingus's less memorable tunes) and makes nice use of muted brass. Gunsling Bird, fully called, "If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger, There'd Be a Lot of Dead Copycats", so you can guess it's a tribute piece. Things Ain't What They Used to Be and Mood Indigo are two lengthy Ellington covers, the former being my favorite Ellington piece. Far Wells, Mill Valley has an awesome title but is an okay song.

Hands down, the best piece here is the title track, "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive A** Slippers", a nine-and-a-half minute suite of sorts with an ever-changing tempo and great harmonies during the second part.

Although my sources say you can pick up all but Shoes on Mingus Dynasty and can find Shoes on Let My Children Hear Music, this is cheaper than two albums and is great jazz by one of the masterminds besides."