This anthology collects a number of obscure 78s by Charles Mingus, many of which have not been reissued since they were originally released during the 1940s. Many of the vocal features are fairly traditional ballads, and Mingus was by no means an inventive lyricist, but it is the strong solos by the musicians within these tracks and the often rather progressive arrangements (even if their execution is not always perfect) that generally merit the most attention.
The Frémeaux label have done an admirable job of compiling the complete chronological recordings of major artists such as Django Reinhardt, Louis Armstrong and Mahalia Jackson. Now they turn their attention to Charlie Parker. This three CD set covers an exciting period when Parker and fellow bebop pioneer Dizzy Gillespie were shaking up the jazz world, not just at gigs but with widely distributed 78s. Most of the tracks, recorded in New York and Los Angeles, feature both men, in the studio and on radio broadcasts. A young Miles Davis also makes an appearance.
The sessions of Sonny Criss for the Imperial label deserve at least as much attention as his better known Prestige albums of the sixties. They show an alto saxophonist of tremendous power and authority. The uptempo standards on Jazz U.S.A. are particularly overwhelming.