Charles Mingus Quintet The Charles Mingus Memorial Album

Having completed what he (and many critics) regarded as his masterwork in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charles Mingus' next sessions for Impulse found him looking back over a long and fruitful career. Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is sort of a "greatest hits revisited" record, as the bassist revamps or tinkers with some of his best-known works…

Having completed what he (and many critics) regarded as his masterwork in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charles Mingus' next sessions for Impulse found him looking back over a long and fruitful career. Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is sort of a "greatest hits revisited" record, as the bassist revamps or tinkers with some of his best-known works. The titles are altered as well - "II B.S." is basically "Haitian Fight Song" (this is the version used in the late-'90s car commercial); "Theme for Lester Young" is "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"; "Better Get Hit in Your Soul" adds a new ending, but just one letter to the title; "Hora Decubitus" is a growling overhaul of "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too"; and "I X Love" modifies "Nouroog," which was part of "Open Letter to Duke"…

Having completed what he (and many critics) regarded as his masterwork in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charles Mingus' next sessions for Impulse found him looking back over a long and fruitful career. Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus is sort of a "greatest hits revisited" record, as the bassist revamps or tinkers with some of his best-known works. The titles are altered as well - "II B.S." is basically "Haitian Fight Song" (this is the version used in the late-'90s car commercial); "Theme for Lester Young" is "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"; "Better Get Hit in Your Soul" adds a new ending, but just one letter to the title; "Hora Decubitus" is a growling overhaul of "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too"; and "I X Love" modifies "Nouroog," which was part of "Open Letter to Duke"…

In 1973 Atlantic Records began its second period of recording with Mingus, which resulted in seven studio albums. The story of a new phase in Mingus’ music – his last phase – begins with the recordings in this boxed set. Featuring all of his 1970s output for Atlantic Records, all configurations of the album include previously unreleased outtakes of “Big Alice,” “The Call” and “Music For Todo Modo.” There is also an extra set of takes of “Big Alice” and “The Call” on an Outtakes disc exclusive to the vinyl format.

Charles Mingus' three albums for Bethlehem have the misfortune of being sandwiched between albums like New Tijuana Moods and Mingus Ah Um. The music on these three discs, recorded in the mid-to-late '50s, is quieter and less volatile when compared to these other albums. Bill Evans' appearance on East Coasting gives the listener a chance to sample his style a few months before he went to work for Miles Davis. His non-bluesy tone and mellow approach would seemingly be the antithesis of Mingus' modus operandi, but it works well here. He kicks off "East Coasting" with his distinct touch before giving way to the heavy percussion of the ever-explosive Dannie Richmond. One of the things that separates even a conservative (relatively speaking) Mingus effort from its peers is the babble of instrumental voices on a tune like "West Coast Ghost," with horns bursting from one speaker while the drums and bass thump madly from the other…

The complete long unavailable concert by Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy at the Salle Wagram, in Paris, for the first time ever on a single collection. As a bonus, we have added the two complete sets by the Chico Hamilton Quintet with Dolphy at Newport '58, including an extended previously unissued version of "Pottsville U.S.A." on which Dolphy plays a long solo on alto sax.