When he passed away in 1978, Charles Mingus left behind a 40-year legacy as one of jazz's most important bassists and prolific composers. He also left unfinished his most ambitious work, EPITAPH. Originally composed for an open recording session at New York's Town Hall in 1962, EPITAPH was marked by difficulty and the subsequent release was incomplete and disappointing. The idea and score then disappeared for more than 20 years.
Violinist Joe Venuti's three recordings with tenorman Zoot Sims are all quite joyful and exciting. This Chiaroscuro recording matches the pair with pianist John Bunch, bassist Milt Hinton, drummer Bobby Rosengarden and, on "Don't Take Your Love from Me," trombonist Spiegel Willcox who was then 73. The small-group swing performances have plenty of life and more often than not are hard-swinging.