Haitian Fight Song

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Haitian Fight Song is a jazz composition by Charles Mingus .

The title

Haitian Fight Song was first recorded by Charles Mingus on the 1955 LP Mingus at the Bohemia ( Debut Records ). Charles Mingus wrote about his composition: Haitian Fight Song could just as easily be called ″ Afro-American Fight Song ″. It has folk roots, but the kind of folk music I always hear somewhere. It also has something of the spirit of old churches (music). I grew up a Methodist, but there was a Holiness Church on the corner, and that expression of that music that was wild goes into our music. I can't play it without thinking about prejudice, hatred and political persecution and how unfair it all is. (In this piece) there is a sadness and the scream (desperation) about it, and it usually ends with my feeling, ″ I said it ″ - I hope someone hears me .

The piece (recorded by Mingus) is used in a love scene from the film Jerry Maguire - Game of Life between Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger . Before that, babysitter Chad gives Jerry Maguire a tape with Miles Davis and John Coltrane (Stockholm 1963) with warmest recommendations. Director Cameron Crowe originally wanted to use So What from it , but it turned out to be too "limp" in his words: It wasn't as good as Charles Mingu's Haitian Fight Song, which sounded like a herd of mating elephants .

As part of the Charles Mingus project Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus , the song was interpreted coupled with "Reincarnation of a Lovebird" by Don Alias , Don Byron , Bill Frisell and Greg Cohen .

Selection discography

  • Charles Mingus: Mingus at the Bohemia (Debut / Fantasy, 1955)
  • Charles Mingus The Clown (Atlantic 1957)
  • Mingus Big Band : Blues And Politics (Dreyfus, 1965/1999)
  • Pepper Adams : Plays Charles Mingus (FSR, 1963)

literature

  • Marcus A. Woelfle: Liner notes for Charles Mingus: 80th Birthday Celebration (Fantasy)
  • Horst Weber , Gerd Filtgen: Charles Mingus , Gauting, Oreos (Collection Jazz)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Marcus A. Woelfle - Liner notes for Charles Minus 80th Birthday Celebration (Fantasy)
  2. ↑ Crowe (originally a rock journalist): I had in mind 'So What' from the Stockholm concerts with Miles and Coltrane. But when I put it on that day, it was too languid and wasn't as good as Mingus' Haitian Fight Song, which sounded like a herd of elephants mating [1]