Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Studio album by Charles Mingus
Released 1963
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
(1963)		 Mingus Plays Piano
(1963)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is a 1963 album by jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus.

Historical context

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

  1. "Theme for Lester Young" – "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on Mingus Ah Um
  2. "II B.S." – "Haitian Fight Song" on Plus Max Roach and The Clown
  3. "Freedom" – "Freedom" on Epitaph
  4. "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" – "Better Git It in Your Soul" on Mingus Ah Um (also "Better Git Hit in Your Soul" on Mingus at Antibes)
  5. "Hora Decubitus" – "E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too" on Blues & Roots
  6. "I X Love" – "Duke's Choice" on A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry.[2][3][4]

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:

Several of his other pieces have lyrics:

Track listing

All tracks written 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 AS-54-B on Impulse Records contains an alternate track listing, which excludes the track "Freedom".

Personnel

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

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

Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Santoro, Gene (2000). Myself when I Am Real. New York: Oxford University Press US. p. 413. ISBN 0-19-514711-1.
  3. ↑ Mathieson, Kenny (1999). Giant Steps. Canongate US. p. 217. ISBN 0-86241-859-3.
  4. ↑ 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.