Blues & Roots

Blues & Roots
Studio album by Charles Mingus
Released March 1960
Recorded 4 February 1959, Atlantic Studios, New York City
Genre Hard-bop, post-bop
Length 38:49
Label Atlantic
SD 1305
Producer Nesuhi Ertegün
Charles Mingus chronology

Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland
(1959)
Blues & Roots
(1960)
Pre-Bird
(1960)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Blues & Roots is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded in 1959 and released in 1960. It has been reissued twice as a CD, first by Atlantic Records, and then again by Rhino Entertainment in 1998.

Mingus explained the birth of this record in the album's liner notes:

This record is unusualit presents only one part of my musical world, the blues. A year ago, Nesuhi Ertegün suggested that I record an entire blues album in the style of Haitian Fight Song (in Atlantic LP 1260), because some people, particularly critics, were saying I didn't swing enough. He wanted to give them a barrage of soul music: churchy, blues, swinging, earthy. I thought it over. I was born swinging and clapped my hands in church as a little boy, but I've grown up and I like to do things other than just swing. But blues can do more than just swing. So I agreed.

Reception

Track listing

  1. "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" – 5:39
  2. "Cryin' Blues" – 4:58
  3. "Moanin'" – 8:01
  4. "Tensions" – 6:27
  5. "My Jelly Roll Soul" – 6:47
  6. "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" – 6:37


The 1998 Rhino CD reissue included these additional tracks:

  1. "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" – 6:59 – alternate take
  2. "Tensions" – 5:18 – alternate take
  3. "My Jelly Roll Soul" – 11:25 – alternate take
  4. "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" – 6:47 – alternate take

All tracks composed by Charles Mingus. Recorded February 4, 1959 at Atlantic Studios in New York City.

Personnel

References

  1. Huey, Steve (2011). "Blues & Roots - Charles Mingus | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2011.

Sources