[Rclark]

 Just picked up a 5 album set and loving it:

A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry - 1957

Mingus in Wonderland - 1959

Mingus Revisited - 1960

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus - 1960

Reincarnation of a Lovebird - 1960


 I'm about halfway through. With my other two albums Mingus Ah Um, and Oh Yeah, he's quickly becoming my favorite in my growing world of Jazz artists.

 Love how he takes the music into unpredictable territory at times, especially on Oh Yeah, and his bass always sounds the best.

[lazydays]

Just picked up a 5 album set and loving it:

A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry - 1957

Mingus in Wonderland - 1959

Mingus Revisited - 1960

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus - 1960

Reincarnation of a Lovebird - 1960


 I'm about halfway through. With my other two albums Mingus Ah Um, and Oh Yeah, he's quickly becoming my favorite in my growing world of Jazz artists.

 Love how he takes the music into unpredictable territory at times, especially on Oh Yeah, and his bass always sounds the best.

many moons ago a friend of mine turned me onto to Mingus. He had a radio show on Sunday afternoons, and the last segment was old school guys. Later he got me to listening to Monk, and from there we ain't looked back.
gary

[roscoeiii]

Some additional Mingus that I find to be among his best:

Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
(vinyl heads, the 45 RPM Analog Productions is pricey but to die for)

Blues and Roots
(vinyl heads, beware of recent reissues of this one. Some are put out by the dreaded Scorpio. Go for a clean copy of an early pressing)

For me, the above 2 LPs and Ah Um are the top three.

Also excellent are Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, and Mingus at Monteray.

[jimdgoulding]

Blues and Roots is classic Mingus at it's super.

[coverto]

"Beneath the Underdog," his mytho-biography, or auto-mythography, or auto-pornography, whatever you want to call it -- it is one heck of an impressive and fascinating book. Not for kids, mind you. 

[roscoeiii]

There is also a great Mingus documentary that I saw in college, where he is shooting a shotgun out of his NYC apt. Wish I could remember the name of that documentary.

But speaking of jazz documentarys, check out the Monk documentary Straight No Chaser. The camera shots looking straight down on his hands on the keys are incredible.

[Rclark]

 I have that book. It's very hard to read, not that it's too risque (lol), but that he simply isn't a writer as he is a jazz musician. Just not a fun read.

 Listening on the other hand, wow! I'm going to have to figure out which of the new ones it was on, but he was playing a live horn duet and they went off beat repeatedly, in such creative ways, and then always managed to sync right back up with the drums, it was phenomenal to hear that just towering musicianship. Fun records, and he speaks ocassionally too.

I'll pick up those last several mentioned. But yeah, I dig how he has a standard sound, but he does go way way out there at times. Loving it.

[andy_c]

Mingus in Wonderland has been one of my favorite Mingus albums for many years.  I love the interplay between Booker Ervin and John Handy on No Private Income Blues.

If you're interested in a fairly short but quite interesting bit of Mingus' writing, check out his essay What is a Jazz Composer?.  This essay formed the liner notes of his album Let My Children Hear Music.

[Jazz and Baroque]

Years ago (back in the 60s) my music teacher told me that Mingus regularly carried a handgun at performances.  He would take it out when he got really annoyed, but I never heard that he actually shot anyone. 

[Rclark]

Heading up to the record store now. What do you think of the album, I believe it's called "Something"..Pithecus Mingus? I know they have that one.

Will read the essay later 

[Rclark]

 I think I already bought all their interesting Mingus, time to hit up Amazon. I did however, get my first  Duke Ellington today "Such Sweet Thunder".

[ZLS]

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=253-MD-CD

[Rclark]

Some additional Mingus that I find to be among his best:

Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
(vinyl heads, the 45 RPM Analog Productions is pricey but to die for)

 they had that cd there (Will play on SACD was a selling point), for $40. I passed.

[Rclark]

OT but it's my thread, that Duke Ellington disc is fantastic. Wow wow wow.

[Rclark]

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=253-MD-CD

 oh damn, thanks for that link. I may just do that.