Mingus moves

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Mingus moves
Studio album by Charles Mingus

Publication
(s)

1973

Label (s) Atlantic Records

Format (s)

LP, CD

Genre (s)

jazz

Title (number)

9

running time

62:34

occupation

production

Nesuhi Ertegün

Studio (s)

Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City

chronology
Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert
(1972) 		Mingus moves Mingus at Carnegie Hall
(1974)

Mingus Moves is a jazz album by Charles Mingus that was recorded October 29-31, 1973 and released on Atlantic Records .

background

With the departure of Charles McPherson , Eddie Preston and Bobby Jones at the end of 1972, Charles Mingus had to reorganize his regular band. In 1973 he hired three new musicians, first the pianist Don Pullen , later the trumpeter Ronald Hampton and the tenor saxophonist George Adams . After a couple of touring concerts, this band played the week before the recordings at Village Vanguard , where Dannie Richmond was attending a concert. After a corresponding offer from Mingus, his long-time companion and drummer returned to the Mingus band on the first day of the recording.

In the spring of 1973, Clive Davis decided for Columbia Records to terminate the contracts with all jazz musicians with the exception of Miles Davis . Mingus then moved back to Atlantic Records and was also able to take the tapes of a recording in 1972 at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club . However, he decided against the live album from London, but for a studio album with his band, to which his alter ego Danny Richmond belonged again. Its predecessor Doug Hammond can be heard as the singer of the title track "Moves". There is also the singer Honey Gordon (with whom Mingus worked occasionally since the 1950s).

The music

In his work on Mingus, Todd S. Jenkins addresses the changes that manifest themselves in the album: For the first time in a long time, compositions by the participating musicians - or the participating arranger Sy Johnson - came into play; Mingus himself only contributed three (out of seven then published) compositions. On the other hand, with Adams and Pullen, he brought musicians into his band who were striving further in the direction of free jazz than any of his other musicians before. Jenkins also noted that the band leader was very withdrawn with his instrument; there were no extended solos on bass on Mingus Moves .

Although the album is not one of the most outstanding releases by Charles Mingus, the three compositions "Canon", "Opus 3" and "Opus 4" are remarkable.

As the title suggests, “Canon” has a theme that can be played as a canon . The piece has a sacred character and is performed in a warm, flowing sound by Don Pullen and George Adams. "Canon" has strong references to John Coltrane's sound images . The melody refers to the "Work Song" that Mingus played in 1955 at Mingus at the Bohemia . Adams opens the piece with his slow pentatonic playing, which Hampton answers like an echo; then Richmond and Pullen set the rhythm in 3/8 time and George Adams sets his solo over it, which Hampton continues with the themed game to end in call and response style of play.

“Opus 4” is a swinging “straight ahead” number that starts in 6/4 time and changes to 4/4 time and in which Don Pullen gets to a freer playing in his solo.

"Moves" is a composition by Doug Hammond, the band's interim drummer. The title is sung by him and Honey Gordon.

"Wee" is a more conventionally laid out composition, composed and arranged by Sy Johnson , who worked with Mingus on the previous albums Let My Children Hear Music (1971) and Mingus And Friends In Concert (1972). The musicians stick closely to the arrangement; only George Adams plays a somewhat more freely designed solo.

"Flowers", written by George Adams, is a rather pleasing composition and offers compact swinging mainstream jazz . The trumpeter Ronald Hampton will be introduced.

"Newcomer" is a composition by Don Pullen, dedicated to his newborn daughter. The piece contains a flute solo by George Adams.

"Opus 3" was created in the style of bebop heads and is based on the harmonies of the Mingus composition Pithecanthropus Erectus (1957). In this medium-paced piece you can experience a freer playing of the wind instruments, especially George Adams.

The 1993 CD edition also contains the tracks “Big Alice” and “The Call”, which were recorded at the same recording sessions.

The title of the album

  • Charles Mingus: Mingus Moves (Atlantic SD 1653, Atlantic / Rhino R2 71454)
  1. Canon (5:28)
  2. Opus 4 (6:39)
  3. Moves (3:43) (Doug Hammond)
  4. Wee (8:57) (Sy Johnson)
  5. Flowers For a Lady (6:44) (George Adams)
  6. Newcomer (7:13) (Don Pullen)
  7. Opus 3 (10:26)
  8. Big Alice (5:44) (Don Pullen)
  9. The Call (7:13) (composer unknown)

All compositions - except indicated - are by Charles Mingus. The pieces were recorded on October 29-31, 1973.

Meetings

In the American magazine Down Beat , Moves received a top rating of five stars at the record review. Scott Yanow gave the album four out of five stars at Allmusic and selected the “excellent quintet”. Although only three of the seven pieces are by Mingus, the music on Move is generally characterized by his searching and inexpressible style.

According to the Mingus biographers Horst Weber & Gerd Filtgen, the first and last tracks on the album, “Canon” and “Opus 3”, are certainly “the most impressive pieces on this record. It's amazing how closely the musicians stick to the arrangements here, when you know how hot, free, wild and fiery their live performances were. "

literature

Web links

Individual references / comments

  1. ↑ Live recordings (Don Pullen)
  2. ↑ a b c H. Weber, G. Filtgen: Charles Mingus - His life, his music, his records , Gauting, Oroes (Collection Jazz), p. 165 f.
  3. ↑ The last session for Atlantic was the album Oh Yeah with Jimmy Knepper and Roland Kirk in October 1961, before joining Impulse! Records changed.
  4. ↑ Sue Graham Mingus : Toonight at Noon. A love story . Nautilus: Hamburg 2003, p. 127.
  5. ↑ Canon also appeared on Hal Willner's tribute CD: Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus
  6. ^ Todd S. Jenkins: I Know What I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus . Westport, CT / London Praeger, 2006, ISBN 0275981029 , p. 140.
  7. ↑ All information from Todd S. Jenkins: I Know What I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus . Westport, CT / London Praeger, 2006, ISBN 0275981029 .
  8. ↑ Jenkins mentions that Mingus couldn't find a name for the composition; since its first performance at Village Vanguard in August 1972 he called it "No Name".
  9. ↑ Mingus Moves at Allmusic (English)