Charles Mingus
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus

1963. The greatness of "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" overshadows its contemporary counterpart from a critical standpoint. But even though the latter does not encompass the liturgical aura that the former album had crafted, I dare to consider it one of my favorite works by (in my opinion) the best jazz musician ever. It's not an album of social or musical revolution, it doesn't give the impression of being too studied or thought out, and almost all the compositions were previously recorded. However, it is a fantastic album.

The unreleased tracks are two, "Celia" and "Mood Indigo" (the latter being an interpretation of the famous duke's piece), and the other tracks are reinterpretations, as already mentioned, of the maestro's old pieces (presented with different titles and drawn from masterpieces like "Mingus Ah Um", to name one). The tracks flow smoothly one after the other, which is a marvel, and the variety among them is notable, ranging from a wild, sweaty Mingus playing with animalistic fury on the double bass ("II B.S.") to a Mingus with his trusty cigar performing some spoken word in the shadows ("Freedom"). Everything but monolithic. I don't dare comment on the musical execution, because it would be downright offensive, but I limit myself to mentioning the participation of an indispensable name: Eric Dolphy.

So, do not approach the listening as a mere revisited greatest hits, but as a representation of the musical spirit of one of the greatest in music. Here closes the recognized golden era of the giant (yes, he was a big guy), and the listening is recommended even to those who have heard nothing of him, but are passionate about jazz.

"This mule ain't from Moscow.
This mule ain't from the South.
But this mule had some learning.
Mostly mouth to mouth"