Fashion Lady

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is one of the greatest achievements in orchestration by any composer in jazz history. Charles Mingus consciously designed the six-part ballet as his magnum opus, and – implied in his famous inclusion of liner notes by his psychologist – it's as much an examination of his own tortured psyche as it is a conceptual piece about love and struggle. It veers between so many emotions that it defies easy encapsulation; for that matter, it can be difficult just to assimilate in the first place. Yet the work soon reveals itself as a masterpiece of rich, multi-layered texture and swirling tonal colors, manipulated with a painter's attention to detail. There are a few stylistic reference points – Ellington, the contemporary avant-garde, several flamenco guitar breaks – but the totality is quite unlike what came before it. Mingus relies heavily on the timbral contrasts between expressively vocal-like muted brass, a rumbling mass of low voices (including tuba and baritone sax), and achingly lyrical upper woodwinds, highlighted by altoist Charlie Mariano.

Anthony Davis - Lady Of The Mirrors (1980) {India Navigation IN1047CD rel 1991}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 172 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 114 Mb
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© 1980, 1991 India Navigation Company | IN 1047 CD
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

Anthony Davis is best known as a composer, both in avant-garde jazz and in classical music (including operas). Although all six selections on this reissue CD are by Davis, the main focus is on his piano playing. He is heard on six extended solos, exploring many moods and ideas in a thoughtful yet unpredictable fashion. His "Man on a Turquoise Cloud" pays tribute to one of his main influences, Duke Ellington, but in general the complex and often-fascinating music is quite original and has no obvious predecessor. Lady of the Mirrors is still one of Anthony Davis' finest piano recordings.