Jazz / Avant-Garde; Post-Bop
Recorded: Oct 28, 1953; Jun 10, 1957, New York, New York
Charles Mingus Octet
Charles Mingus - acoustic bass
Spaulding Givens - arranger
Janet Thurlow - vocals
Eddie Caine - alto saxophone, flute
Teo Macero - tenor saxophone, clarinet
Ernie Royal - trumpet
Willie Dennis - trombone
John Lewis - piano
Jackson Wiley - cello
Kenny Clarke - drums
Jimmy Knepper Quintet
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Joe Maini - alto saxophone
Bill Triglia - piano
Charles Mingus - acoustic bass
Dannie Richmond - drums
In 1953 Mingus recorded four tunes originally arranged a decade earlier by Spaulding Givens. Three of the tunes are Mingus': "Pink Topsy" and "Miss Bliss" anticipate Miles Davis' 1959 BIRTH OF THE COOL, with their little-big-band scoring and slightly unusual instrumentation (two brass and three reeds, plus cello). Givens' "Blue Tide" and Mingus' "Eclipse" are vocal numbers featuring singer Janet Thurlow. In 1957 Mingus was the bassist on a four-tune session for trombonist Jimmy Knepper, with Danny Richmond on drums, Joe Maini on alto saxophone and Bill Triglia on piano. For the most part this is straight-ahead bebop of '57 vintage, with some satisfying contrapuntal twists on the head statements. The standout, however, is "Cunningbird," one of three Knepper originals from this date, which opens with a lush statement arranged for the two horns and Mingus' bowed bass before settling into a slightly fractured, deliberately off-kilter blowing section.
Includes liner notes by Ira Gitler. |
