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Rating: The most carnal jazz, passion, the visceral nature of the solos.
This is Charles Mingus, among the most wild and greatest bassists and composers ever lived; a strong personality, sometimes uncontrollable. Anger, joy, and madness are the strings of his double bass. With him Eric Dolphy; a gentle, introverted, balanced person; but when he takes up his instruments, those who watch him witness a metamorphosis: his way of playing is exuberant, passionate, uncontrollable, unpredictable.
The '64 confirms itself as a golden year for Jazz. Those who flocked to Paris to attend the ''grand concert of Charles Mingus" certainly were not bored. One of the most exciting live performances ever recorded. African-American pride in Europe, the claim for equal rights, all in this fiery concert, all in the rational cries of Dolphy, in the anger of Mingus.
A cohesive and high-quality ensemble pushes everyone to give their best and, perhaps, even more. Clifford Jordan, despite being an excellent musician, does not possess the talent of his colleagues, yet manages to deliver an outstanding performance. This is mainly thanks to Dolphy, who pushes him to give his best in phrase exchanges as in "So Long Eric".
Other sources of vital energy and musical ideas are Richmond and Byard; the first with his highly original and compelling drumming, the second with his discreet accompaniments and inspired solos.
In addition, Byard's style is best exploited, capable of ranging from Ragtime (A.T.F.W.) to Free; demonstrating himself to be the ideal pianist for the application of Mingus's musical idea of bringing clearly Ellington-inspired pieces to moments of artistic freedom ("Sophisticated Lady", "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk").
Listening to this music leads the audience to participation; one feels close to the musicians. It almost seems like being there, on that Parisian stage, next to that crazy Danny Richmond, contemplating Eric the Martian, shouting together with Charles Mingus and Jaki Byard during the solos. This is due, in particular, to the passion of the performers: the pieces far exceed the usual length of jazz compositions, remaining at thrilling levels.
The half-hour mark is touched in "Parkeriana", Mingus's dedication to the Parkerian genius. Jordan and Dolphy often resort to citations from Parker's repertoire and engage in very long solos, in Dolphy's case, breathtakingly long. Byard's Stride and Mingus’s hearty laughter elicit applause from the thrilled audience.
Priceless is the triumph of emotions gifted by "Meditations of Integration (Or for a Pair of Wire Cutters)". Oriental music, jazz, cultured music, all tied by a deep sense of sadness; an unmatched piece for its intensity: twenty minutes of extremely intense music; the touching voices of the flute and double bass, the grave and powerful tone of the bass clarinet, the skewed chords of the piano: all are of a primitive and shocking sensuality.
An exceptional live performance, a gem of the most "black" and visceral jazz. Touching, exciting, shocking.
Tracklist
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