Weary Blues (album) - Misplaced Pages

Weary Blues (also referred to as The Weary Blues) is an album by the American poet Langston Hughes, who recites several of his poems over jazz accompaniment composed and arranged by Leonard Feather and Charles Mingus. The album was recorded on March 17 & 18, 1958 in New York and was released on the MGM label in 1959. It was later reissued on Verve Records.

On side 1 (track 1) of the album Hughes is backed by a Leonard Feather organized group that includes Henry "Red" Allen, Sam "The Man" Taylor, Vic Dickenson, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson. On side 2 (tracks 2 and 3) the accompaniment is by a Charles Mingus led group that includes Horace Parlan, Shafi Hadi, and Jimmy Knepper.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

The AllMusic review by Michael Katz called it "interesting, but not essential".

Track listing

"Blues Montage: Opening Blues/Blues Montage/Commercial Theater/Morning After/Could Be/Testament"
"Consider Me: The Stranger/Midnight Stroll/Backstage
"Dream Montage: Weird Nightmare/Double G Train/Jump Monk

Personnel

Langston Hughes - narrator (all songs)

Track 1:

Leonard Feather - arranger
Red Allen - trumpet
Vic Dickenson - trombone
Sam "The Man" Taylor - tenor saxophone, clarinet
Al Williams - piano
Milt Hinton - bass
Osie Johnson - drums

Tracks 2 and 3:

References

Charles Mingus discography accessed December 4, 2012
"Verve Records Discography: 1958". accessed May 2, 2022
^ Katz, M. Allmusic Review accessed December 4, 2012

v t e Charles Mingus
Discography
Studio albums	The Jazz Experiments of Charlie Mingus Jazz Composers Workshop Pithecanthropus Erectus The Clown East Coasting Mingus Three A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry Mingus Ah Um Blues & Roots Mingus Dynasty Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus Pre-Bird Mingus Oh Yeah Tijuana Moods Money Jungle The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Tonight at Noon Mingus Plays Piano Blue Bird Pithycanthropus Erectus Let My Children Hear Music Mingus Moves Changes One Changes Two Three or Four Shades of Blues His Final Work Cumbia & Jazz Fusion Something Like a Bird Charles Mingus with Orchestra Reincarnation of a Lovebird
Live albums	Mingus at the Bohemia (1956) Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland (1959) The Complete Town Hall Concert (1962) The Charles Mingus Quintet & Max Roach (1963) Astral Weeks (1964) Town Hall Concert (1964) Revenge! (1964) The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (1964) Mingus in Europe Volume I (1964) Mingus in Europe Volume II (1964) Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop (1964) Mingus at Monterey (1964) My Favorite Quintet (1965) Music Written for Monterey 1965 (1965) Charles Mingus Sextet In Berlin (1970) Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert (1972) Mingus at Antibes (1974) Mingus at Carnegie Hall (1974) Cornell 1964 (2007)
Books	Beneath the Underdog (1971 autobiography)
Related	Mingus Big Band Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard Mingus Dynasty Sue Mingus Jazz at Massey Hall (1953) Weary Blues (1958) Newport Rebels (1960) Pepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charlie Mingus (1964) Mingus (1979) Epitaph (1990) Mingus: Charlie Mingus 1968 Charles Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog (1998 documentary)

v t e Horace Parlan
Years indicated are for the recording(s), not release.
Albums as leader	Movin' & Groovin' (1960) Us Three (1960) Speakin' My Piece (1960) Headin' South (1960) On the Spur of the Moment (1961) Up & Down (1961) Happy Frame of Mind (1963) Arrival (1973) No Blues (1975) Frank-ly Speaking (1977) Goin' Home (with Archie Shepp, 1977) Blue Parlan (1978) Hi-Fly (1978) Musically Yours (1979) The Maestro (1979) Trouble in Mind (with Archie Shepp, 1980) Pannonica (1980) Like Someone in Love (1983) Glad I Found You (1984) Little Esther (1987) Duo Reunion (with Archie Shepp, 1987) Voyage of Rediscovery (1999)
With Stanley Turrentine	Look Out! (Stanley Turrentine, 1960) Comin' Your Way (1961) Up at "Minton's" (1961) Salt Song (1971)
With others	Gene Ammons in Sweden (1973) One Foot in the Gutter (Dave Bailey, 1960) Gettin' Into Somethin' (Dave Bailey, 1960) Motoring Along (Al Cohn & Zoot Sims, 1974) Tough Tenor Favorites (Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis & Johnny Griffin, 1962) Goin' to the Meeting (Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, 1962) Jaw's Blues (Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, 1981) The Time Is Right (Lou Donaldson, 1959) Sunny Side Up (Lou Donaldson, 1960) Midnight Sun (Lou Donaldson, 1960) The Jazzpar Prize (Pierre Dørge, 1991) That's It! (Booker Ervin, 1961) Exultation! (Booker Ervin, 1963) The House That Love Built (Frank Foster, 1982) Doin' Allright (Dexter Gordon, 1961) Stable Mable (Dexter Gordon, 1975) Jazz with a Twist (Slide Hampton, 1961) Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (1962) Weary Blues (Langston Hughes, Charles Mingus & Leonard Feather, 1958) Gifts & Messages (Roland Kirk, 1964) I Talk with the Spirits (Roland Kirk, 1964) Slightly Latin (Roland Kirk, 1965) A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (Charles Mingus, 1957) Blues & Roots (Charles Mingus, 1959) Mingus Ah Um (Charles Mingus, 1959) I'll Close My Eyes (Doug Raney, 1982) Meeting the Tenors (Doug Raney, 1983) Splashes (Archie Shepp, 1987) Bird's Grass (Idrees Sulieman, 1976) Groovin' (Idrees Sulieman, 1985)

v t e Red Allen
Discography
as leader or co-leader	Ride, Red, Ride in Hi-Fi The College Concert (with Pee Wee Russell) 1929–1933
as sideman	Weary Blues (with Langston Hughes)

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