Ahhhh. This is the kind of stuff that makes you just love Mosaic Records. They seem to tease us with great reissues by Coleman Hawkins, Anthony Braxton and Jimmie Lunceford, but just when you think you’re lulled into having them all figured out, or have run out of ideas, they whip out something from deep in their inner sanctum and…voila…a precious collection of music that goes where no man has gone before. Here, Mosaic revisits, rediscovers, reissues and revelates the music of Charles Mingus when he was his most, shall we say…Mingus-y
This 6 cd limited edition set finds Charles Mingus leading two different groups: a sexet with Johnny Coles/tp, Eric Dolphy/as-bcl, Clifford Jordan/ts, Jackie Byard/p and the ubiquitous Dannie Richmond/dr. There are already a handful of releases with this theme, or variations of, these musicians out there, but these concert from 1964 Amsterdam and Town Hall had everyone in just the right frame of mind. The amalgamation of Coles’ Davis-influenced tone, Dolphy’s alto sax conflagration of notes as well as his brooding bass clarinet, Byard’s stride to avant piano and Jordan’s hard bop tenor created an environment that was as able to go from outright eight to the bar swing to way outside eight light years from earth in a matter of taps by Richmond’s sticks. The marathon Praying With Eric and 17 minute So Long Eric are filled with white knuckler moments, particularly the famed converstation between the leader and Mr. Dolphy on bass clarinet on the latter during the Town Hall gig. The Amsterdam show has some everybody stretching out like Turkish Taffy but never breaking the nougat on pieces like “Fables of Faubus” and “Meditations…” Mingus’ own bass playing is a wonder to behold, as his spotlight on “Sophisticated Lady” amply demonstrates, but it’s his work as a leader, cheerleader, cajoler and traffic cop that makes this material so exciting.
The next band, which formed in and initially recorded in 1964 as well, had a change of the front line, with Lonnie Hillyer/tp, Charles McPherson/as and John Handy/ts being the new “A” team, with Hillyer at times being absent, and at the Monterrey show having a full stage with the addition a handful of horn players that include Buddy Collette, Red Callender and Jack Nimitz. The latter 12 piece band was part of the Monterrey gig that did one of the wildest versions of “Meditations on Integration” that will ever grace your cochlea. The Ellington medley reveals Mingus’ love affair with the elder statesman’s artistry and sound, while “Orange Was the Color of Her Dress” is filled with California Adventure rides, thrills and screams. The quintet is recorded in the jazz crossroads of the world, Minneapolis, MN in May of 1965, and are in fiery form. Mingus and Byard go toe to toe for a few exciting rounds on “Peggy’s Blue Skylight,” and Mingus does some flowing piano work himself for a bit as well. Only a Mingus-led band could make “Cocktails for Two” make sense in the same context as “So Long Eric” and “A Lonely Day In Selma Alabama.” McPherson’s alto keeps the Bird and bebop part of Mingus’ compositions intact, while the interplay between Richmond and Mingus throughout are like a flint and a rock, creating sparks every time they come into contact with each other.
While some of this material has been out before, a good percentage of it has never been on cd, and some of it has never seen the light of day, making this a must-have for either Mingus fans or adventurous listeners. Shouldn’t those people be the same? Someexcellent liner notes by Mingus’ wife Sue keeps the info in the family with some great insights, and the sound quality, sometimes an issue with Mingus material, is top notch here. It was right after these recordings that Mingus finally broke under the financial, personal and musical stresses of his life, and left the music scene for a few years. When he returned in 1969, some say strictly for financial reasons, his music was a bit more focused and domesticated. A feeling of Prozac induced control took over his latter career, and it’s up for you to decide whether it was for the better or not. These here recordings are the last pumps of helium into Mingus’ balloon before he popped. Don’t let this one get out of your reach, my friends!