New Jazz Album – a Must Have
There are just some names in the world of Jazz that bring about feelings of awe and respect. Some of them are probably names you know. Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker Thelonius Monk and even Jelly Roll Morton may come to mind for you. The name of Charles Mingus should also be there.
For an example of the sheer talent and power that Mingus had, track down a version of his “Haitian Fight Song” and I dare you not to be impressed.
Thankfully, there is now a brand new album out of recently-discovered performances and has now been released by Blue Note. Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964
According to the liner notes, these recordings were found by Sue Mingus and had never been known to exist before this.
Mingus was a very large man who played the stand up bass. He was also known for being a very demanding performer, often demanding that the audience hold their applause during the performance and saving it for the end. He was also a master musician and band leader and a huge influence on jazz in general.
Now, I have not had more than a sampling of the tunes from Amazon.com and notes and articles about the album in various jazz publications, but I intend to get this album as soon as I can. Apparently most jazz experts didn’t even know the concert itself had taken place, let alone that there were recordings for it.
Check it out, jazz lovers. It’s a jazz great you just need to know and a truly amazing “lost recording.”
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