Customer Reviews
fabulous, pleasant - By: Nikica Gilic, 01 Jun 2008 
It is hard for me to grade the albums of the great Charles Mingus - so many of them are perfect or near perfection & this is a fine example, indeed!
I don't find itin any way lesser achievement than "Mingus Ah Um", & the only fault I can findin this collection of newly polished & restored gems is the additional number "Strollin'" (vocalsin Mingus' work are often...Ah...Um...Sloppy).
I lack the words to describe the genius of this true Ellington of modern jazz & it is very hard to me to pick favorite songs - beautiful "Diane" or "Far Wells, Mills Valley", glorious "Gunslinging Bird" or brilliant versions of Ellington's numbers ("Mood Indigo", "Things Ain't what they used to be"...)...
Perfect!
p.s.
Two great ensembles Mingus plays with on this illustrious cd consist of:
A - Richard Williams (tp), Jimmy Knepper (tb), John Handy (as), Booker Ervin, Benny Golson (ts), Jerome Richardson (bs), Teddy Charles (vb), Roland Hanna (p), Dannie Richmond (dm); with Honey Gordon (vo) on "Strollin'" & Nico Bunink instead of Hanna on "New Now Know How" & "Strollin'".
B - Don Ellis (tp), J. Knepper (tb), J. Handy (as), B. Ervin (ts), R. Hanna (p), D. Richmond (dm); with Maurice Brown & Seymour Barab playin cello on "Slop" & "Put Mein That Dungeon"
Jazz delight - By: Furthur, 13 Jan 2008 Damn I will never tire of listening to most of the tunes on this album. Again the brilliance of the man is obviousin so many trackin this album, that this should touch anyone with an interstin good music.
Note that the strong gospel overtones of some of those tracks make them so much more enjoyable or approachable than most Jazz tunes. If you are a starter up at this style, well this is a very good start up pack.
