Charles Mingus – Mingus (Remastered) (1961/2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Charles Mingus – Mingus (Remastered) (1961/2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 39:48 minutes | 1,72 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Candid Records

At the time of this recording, Mingus had been working regularly with the piano-less quartet of Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson and Dannie Richmond – The same group featured on the 1960 Candid release, Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus. The Mingus album, also recorded that year, features one track, “Stormy Weather,” recorded with that same quartet, and two tracks recorded with a larger group featuring piano and additional horns. Of note, “MDM (Monk Duke & Me)” consumes the majority of this album. The piece consists of three intertwining themes – Duke Ellington’s “Main Stem”, Thelonious Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser”, and Mingus’ “Fifty First Street Blues.” Released in 1961, and recorded in the fall of 1960 by Candid A&R and Producer Nate Hentoff at the Nola Penthouse Sound Studios.

While not reaching the heights of other recordings of its era like Mingus Ah Um, this album presents a fine collection of musicians who complement the increasingly adventurous compositions of Charles Mingus. As much a tribute album as an exploration of Mingus’ psyche, this recording for the Candid label contains three works. There’s “MDM (Monk Duke & Me),” which features the players in Mingus’ Jazz Workshop weaving through three intertwining themes: Duke Ellington’s “Main Stem,” Thelonius Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser,” and Mingus’ own “Fifty-First Street Blues.” The song manages to echo the styles of all three songs while tying them together in a unified whole. “Stormy Weather,” the second track on the album, finds Mingus working within the classic quartet (Mingus, Dannie Richmond, Eric Dolphy, and Ted Curson) to produce a somewhat deconstructed version of the classic song. The third track, though, takes a completely different tune. The larger band is brought out again, but this time they are playing an example of true Mingus madness. Indeed, the inspiration for “Lock ‘Em Up (Hellview of Bellvue)” came when Mingus ill-advisedly knocked on the front door of the Bellvue mental hospital, hoping to get some relief for some minor malaise and found himself committed, necessitating a rescue by some of his friends. The song explodes in angry, chaotic frenzy, and acts as a precursor to some of the off-the-wall music that Mingus had in his future. Combined, the three tracks on Mingus make for some solid listening, even if it lacks moments of true greatness.

Tracklist:
1-1. Charles Mingus – MDM (Remastered) (19:47)
1-2. Charles Mingus – Stormy Weather (Remastered) (13:20)
1-3. Charles Mingus – Lock ‘Em Up (Remastered) (06:40)

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