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Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Studio album by Charles Mingus
Released	January 1964
Recorded	January 20 & September 20, 1963 New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:30
Label	Impulse! A-54
Producer	Bob Thiele
Charles Mingus chronology
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963) Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1964) Mingus Plays Piano (1963)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is a 1964 album by American jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus.

Background

Mingus collaborated with arranger/orchestrator Bob Hammer to score the music for a large ensemble of brass and saxophones.

Reception

A reviewer of Sputnik Music wrote "On a broader, more general level, Mingus x5 feels particularly sensual. There is about a 50–50 split between songs that are played as ballads, or at least slower swings, and songs that are played much faster, yet, the most dominant and memorable songs are the ones that take their time like "Mood Indigo" and "Theme for Lester Young." The faster pieces like "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" and "Hora Decubitus" feel like interludes and pacemakers for the true gems of the album. Though, those looking for Mingus' more physically demanding or virtuostic songs may prefer the more aggressive ones, which I feel are played better here than on any prior recording, I really prefer the tasteful and refined sense I get from the slower tracks, which are almost haunting in their beautiful, slow, drawling style. Indeed, it is a well recorded and clutch album to represent Mingus, though it is rather hodgepodge, due to the diversity of style, but I feel this album is a true classic in Mingus' catalogue, as well as in the jazz world. Unfortunately, this is not striking, new material, but mostly rerecordings making it stale for those looking for new stuff. I, however, as a relative Mingus n00b, love what I hear, even when held against the original recordings found on other LPs."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Charles Mingus, except where noted.

1. "II B.S." – 4:48
2. "I X Love" – 7:41
3. "Celia" – 6:14
4. "Mood Indigo" (Duke Ellington/Barney Bigard) – 4:45
5. "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" – 6:30
6. "Theme for Lester Young" – 5:51
7. "Hora Decubitus" – 4:41
8. "Freedom" – 5:10 Bonus track on CD reissue

Some editions of this album, such as Impulse Records AS-54-B, exclude the track "Freedom."

Historical context

Most of the compositions on this album had been previously recorded or have since been rerecorded, some under different titles, on other albums.

• "II B.S." as "Haitian Fight Song" on Plus Max Roach and The Clown
• "I X Love" as "Duke's Choice" on A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry.
• "Celia" on East Coasting
• "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" as "Better Git It in Your Soul" on Mingus Ah Um (also "Better Git Hit in Your Soul" on Mingus at Antibes)
• "Theme for Lester Young" as "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on Mingus Ah Um
• "Hora Decubitus" as "E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too" on Blues & Roots
• "Freedom" on The Complete Town Hall Concert (1962)

Personnel

Tracks #1 and 4–8, recorded on September 20, 1963:

• Eddie Preston – Trumpet
• Richard Williams – Trumpet
• Britt Woodman – Trombone
• Don Butterfield – Tuba
• Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute
• Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, clarinet, flute
• Booker Ervin – Tenor sax
• Eric Dolphy – Alto sax, flute, bass clarinet
• Jaki Byard – Piano
• Charles Mingus – Bass, (narration, #8)
• Walter Perkins – Drums
• Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Tracks #2 and 3, recorded on January 20, 1963:

• Rolf Ericson – Trumpet
• Richard Williams – Trumpet
• Quentin Jackson – Trombone
• Don Butterfield – Tuba
• Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute
• Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, flute, oboe
• Charlie Mariano – Alto sax
• Jaki Byard – Piano
• Jay Berliner – Guitar
• Charles Mingus – Bass, piano
• Dannie Richmond – Drums
• Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Production

• Bob Thiele – Producer
• Michael Cuscuna – Reissue Producer
• Bob Simpson – Engineer
• Erick Labson – Remastering

Freedom

Freedom, by Charles Mingus (excerpt)

This mule ain't from Moscow,

this mule ain't from the South.

But this mule's had some learning,

mostly mouth-to-mouth.

The lyrics, "This mule ain't from Moscow", might be a reference to a Moscow Mule, a drink made of vodka and ginger beer popular in the 1950s, but is likely also referring to African-American slaves as the "mule".

Mingus performed a number of other songs with spoken poetry or narration:

• "Scenes in the City"
• "The Chill of Death"
• "The Clown"
• "Weary Blues" (read by Langston Hughes)
• "Don't Let It Happen Here"
• "It Was A Lonely Day In Selma, Alabama"
• "Where Does A Man Go To Find Peace?"

Several of his other pieces have lyrics:

• "Fables of Faubus"
• "Oh Lord, Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me"
• "Devil Woman"

References

1. "design+has+new+series"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ-sP4xKPiAhUNURUIHUfVBLEQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q="design%20has%20new%20series"&f=false "Billboard". The Billboard Publishing Co. 1 February 1964.
2. Allmusic review
3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 140. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
4. "Charles Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus". Sputnik Music. sputnikmusic.com. 27 June 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
5. Santoro, Gene (2000). Myself when I Am Real. New York: Oxford University Press US. p. 413. ISBN 0-19-514711-1.
6. Mathieson, Kenny (1999). Giant Steps. Canongate US. p. 217. ISBN 0-86241-859-3.
7. Conversely, Nat Hentoff identifies "Nouroog" as the precursor to "I X Love". Hentoff, Nat (1963). Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Impulse! Records. pp. 2–10. IMPD-170.

• 1964 albums
• Charles Mingus albums
• Impulse! Records albums
• Albums produced by Bob Thiele