Me Myself an Eye
| Me Myself an Eye | ||||
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| Studio album by Charles Mingus | ||||
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Publication |
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| Label (s) | Atlantic Records | |||
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Format (s) |
LP, CD |
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Title (number) |
4th |
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running time |
56:02 |
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| occupation |
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Ilhan Mimaroglu, Raymond Silva |
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Me, Myself an Eye is a jazz album under the name of Charles Mingus , from whom the compositions came, but who did not participate as a musician. The session, which took place on January 23, 1978 at Atlantic Studios in New York City, was chaired by Paul Jeffrey ; the arrangements and orchestrations were realized by Jack Walrath with the participation or use of tape recordings by Charles Mingus. The album was released as a long-playing record on Atlantic Records in 1979 and was re-released as a compact disc in 2002 .
background
Me, Myself an Eye with Something Like a Bird was the last album on which Mingus was able to participate while still alive, but no longer as a musician due to illness. The longest track on the album, Three Worlds of Drums , was directed by Paul Jeffrey, who also premiered it at the 1978 Newport Jazz Festival in Saratoga. For the execution of "Three Worlds Of Drums" (which evokes memories of A Drum Is a Woman by Duke Ellington ) Walrath received a tape from Mingus on which the latter had sketched his ideas in the form of moorish sounding scales; “ Pick out some of my notes, organize a melody and write an arrangement on it .” Walrath then wrote an introduction to a four-part work for an ensemble with percussion solos. The shout chorus was based on a melody written by Mingus and supplemented by Walrath. The trumpet soprano saxophone melody shortly before the end is again based on Mingus' tape sizzen; Walrath transcribed the funeral ending from a piano recording by Mingus.
The orchestration of "Carolyn" Keki "Mingus" was literally based on the piano sketch Mingus recorded, except for the final chorus, which in turn was written and arranged by Jack Walrath. " Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting " was arranged according to Mingus' instructions, again except for the final chorus that Jack Walrath wrote and arranged. "Devil Woman" was arranged exclusively by Walrath.
Track list
- Charles Mingus: Me Myself An Eye (Atlantic SD 8803)
- Three Worlds of Drums - 30:20
- Devil Woman - 8:12
- Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting - 9:42 am
- Carolyn "Keki" Mingus - 7:40
All compositions are by Charles Mingus.
reception
Garry Giddins wrote in the album's liner notes :
"When Mingus is inspired, his musicians discover depths in themselves previously unsuspected. It seemed magical when he conducted his whirlwinds from the bass, and seems even more so in the instance of Three Worlds of Drums. Here is a performance that grows from beginning to end, and with each listening. "
Stuart Nicholson also noted in the liner notes :
"Now, with bass virtuoso Eddie Gomez and George Mraz subbing for him, his wheelchair may have reduced his role, but his presence was enough to galvanize the 26-strong ensemble assembled for this memorable date. It prompted trumpeter Randy Brecker to observe that Mingus ran the recording session 'with his eyes'. His melodies were so personal and his use of rhythm and harmony so dramatic that his music constituted an idiom. This kind of volatility, which seemed to characterize his life, is captured on Me, Myself an Eye. The album, like 1977's 'Three or Four Shades of Blue' is notable for its use of the electric guitar - here with Larry Coryell, Ted Dunbar and Jack Wilkins bringing a fresh tone color to the Mingus ensemble. It shows how his music was never static, taking account of the changing musical landscape around him by importing the sounds associated with rock. "
“Now that the bass virtuosos Eddie Gomez and George Mraz step in for him, the wheelchair may be limiting, but his presence was large enough to let the 26-strong ensemble take part in this memorable gathering. It made trumpeter Randy Brecker realize that Mingus was conducting the recording session 'with his eyes'. His melodies were so personal and his use of rhythm and harmonies so dramatic that his music established an idiom. This kind of volatility, which also seemed to characterize his life, is captured in Me, Myself an Eye . The album, like Three or Four Shades of Blue (1977), is also significant for the use of electric guitars - here with Larry Coryell, Ted Dunbar and Jack Wilkins, which brings a fresh timbre to the Mingus ensemble. This shows that his music was never static and took note of the changing musical landscape, absorbing sounds associated with rock music. "
Stuart Kremsky only gave the album 2½ (out of five) stars in Allmusic and emphasized that the terminally ill Mingus no longer played himself, but showed a powerful presence in the recording studio on his last sessions for Atlantic. The big band play a bit clumsy, and the arrangements tend to appeal a little to the Fusion audience. Despite these limitations, the half-hour work Three Worlds of Drums is "great, as exaggerated as it is."
Notes and individual references
- ↑ http://www.musikexpress.de/das-archiv/article146324/charles-mingus-me-myself-an-eye.html
- ↑ According to Jack Walrath, 95% of the composition came from him.
- ^ A b Jack Walrath: Chords and Dischords , Downbeat, June 21, 1979
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Charles-Mingus-Me-Myself-An-Eye/release/2398264
- ↑ Review of the album Me Myself An Eye by Stuart Kremsky at Allmusic (English). Retrieved January 24, 2015.