Hey, look who’s
actually writing a blog post! Been a while, I know. No excuses. So, did you
know that today is Mingus Thursday?
Well, it is.
A bunch of years ago when I first started studying with Dennis Sandole I happened to mention to the Maestro that I was a
big fan of blues music, dating back to 7th and 8th grade
when I first started buying music (it was tapes back then!). Anyway, as I had
mention in a
previous post, Week Four of my
Sandole lesson cycle involved taking the chords to the first eight bars of a
standard and creating my own melody on those chord changes (substituting some
of the Maestro’s substitute chords was also encouraged). After I had mention to
whole affinity to the blues, Mr. Sandole suggested that I use tunes by Charles Mingus for my
standard of choice. “There is a lot of blues feeling in Mingus’ music. A lot of
Duke Ellington as well. Pick songs
by Charles Mingus.” So I did. For many Week Four assignments.
I had already been a fan of Mingus’ records. There is raw emotional power in
Mingus’ music. Joy, sadness, anger, loss, frustration, love, lust, discovery,
confusion. Sometimes all in the space of one song. The music can be
sophisticated and sloppy or dirty at the same time. There is an absolute
connection to the history of jazz and a simultaneous connection to all things
current as well as to the future. Not a lot of figures in the music can pull
this off. And Mingus was kinda nuts. Just read his “autobiography” Beneath
the Underdog. Fact or fiction, or a weird combination of both, it’s
just a really fun read. What a character Mingus was. Don’t believe me? Check
out this article
Mingus wrote that details a method on how one can train their cat to use the
toilet. Seems pretty straightforward. Maybe I should try this with my
cat.
So, there are many eras of Mingus to check out. I love ‘em all. Mingus was fruitful
and creative always. And his bands had some of the best musicians. His longtime
drummer, Dannie Richmond is, I think, one of the most underrated drummers ever.
Perfect for Sir Charles. Which brings me to this gem of ephemeral listening
goodness: NPR’s First Listen is
streaming some of a new Mosaic Boxset entitled The Jazz Workshop Concerts, 1964-65.
Of course it’s awesome. And the band is an interesting one: Jaki Byard on piano
(playing the whole history of the instrument – as always!), Richmond on drums,
and Mingus making up the rhythm section. The frontline is from Detroit: Charles McPherson
on alto (sounding Bird-like but with more avant-isms than he displays on his
own records), and the little-recorded but very capable trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer.
Mingus played with Mingus for years but is only featured on a couple of
records. Hearing him live like this is a real treat – at least for me it is.
http://www.npr.org/2012/10/21/163255582/first-listen-charles-mingus-the-jazz-workshop-concerts-1964-65
So definitely check out this First Listen while it’s still streaming for free.
This one is special. All Mosaic sets are worth the bread; I’m sure that this
one will be as well.
