Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. What Is This Thing Called Love?
2. Darn That Dream
3. Yesterdays (Piano Solo)
4. Body and Soul
5. Blue Moon
6. Blue Tide
7. Darn That Dream [Alternate Take][#]
8. Jeepers Creepers [Take 1][#]
9. Jeepers Creepers [Take 2][#]
10. Portrait [Take 1][Alternate Take][#]
11. Portrait [Take 2]
12. I've Lost My Love [Take 1][#]
13. I've Lost My Love [Take 2][#]
14. Extrasensory Perception
15. Extrasensory Perception [Alternate Take][#]
16. Precognition
17. Make Believe
18. Paris in Blue
19. Montage
20. Day Dream [Take 1][#]
21. Day Dream [Take 2][#]
22. Theme from Rhapsody in Blue [Take 1][#]
23. Theme from Rhapsody in Blue [Take 2][#]

Disc 2:

1. Jet [Take 1][#]
2. Jet [Take 2][#]
3. You Go to My Head [From Medley]
4. Can You Blame Me
5. You and Me
6. Bebopper
7. Cupid
8. Drum Conversation [Live]
9. I've Got You Under My Skin [Live]
10. Embraceable You [Live]
11. Sure Thing [Live]
12. Cherokee [Live]
13. (Jubilee) Hallelujah [Live]
14. Lullaby of Birdland [Live]
15. Wee (Allen's Alley) [Live]
16. Hot House [Live]
17. Night in Tunisia [Live]

Disc 3:

1. Perdido [Live]
2. Salt Peanuts [Live]
3. All the Things You Are [Live]
4. 52nd Street Theme [Live]
5. Perdido [Live]
6. Salt Peanuts [Live]
7. All the Things You Are [Live]
8. 52nd Street Theme [Live]
9. Wee (Allen's Alley) [Live]
10. Hot House [Live]
11. Night in Tunisia [Live]

Disc 4:

1. Bass-Ically Speaking [Alternate Take 1][#]
2. Bass-Ically Speaking [Alternate Take 2][#]
3. Bass-Ically Speaking [Alternate Take 3][#]
4. Bass-Ically Speaking
5. Wee Dot (Blues for Some Bones) [Live]
6. Stardust [Live]
7. Move [Live]
8. I'll Remember April [Live]
9. Now's the Time

Disc 5:

1. Trombosphere
2. Ow!
3. Chazzanova
4. Yesterdays
5. Kai's Day
6. Pink Topsy
7. Miss Blues
8. Blue Tide
9. Pink Topsy [Alternate Take][#]
10. Eclipse [Alternate Take][#]
11. Eclipse
12. Opus One [Alternate Take][#]
13. Opus One
14. (Teapot) Walkin'

Disc 6:

1. Like Someone in Love
2. I Can't Get Started
3. Spontaneous Combustion
4. Theme [#]
5. Split Kick
6. This Time the Dream's on Me [#]
7. Zootcase [#]
8. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
9. Pendulum at Falcon's Lair
10. Jack the Feildstalker
11. Stockholm Sweetin'
12. Low and Behold
13. Bitty Ditty
14. Chazzanova
15. I'll Remember April
16. Elusive (Illusive)
17. Sombre Intrusion
18. You Don't Know What Love Is

Disc 7:

1. Like Someone in Love
2. Peace of Mind
3. Lament
4. Jeep Is Jumpin'
5. Git up from There
6. Foggy Day
7. Mountain Greenery [#]
8. Git up from There [Alternate Take][#]
9. Lament [Alternate Take][#]
10. One More
11. I Can't Get Started
12. More of the Same
13. Get Out of Town
14. One More [Alternate Take][#]

Disc 8:

1. Get Out of Town [Alternate Take][#]
2. Ensenada
3. Machajo
4. Cherokee
5. Seven Moons
6. Seven Moons [Alternate Take][#]
7. All the Things You Are [Take 1][#]
8. All the Things You Are [Take 2][#]
9. Cherokee [Alternate Take][#]
10. Nature Boy
11. Alone Together
12. There's No You
13. Easy Living

Disc 9:

1. Edge of Love
2. Makin' Whoopee
3. Fanny
4. Portrait
5. Jump Monk [Live]
6. Serenade in Blue [Live]
7. Percussion Discussion [Live]
8. Work Song [Live]
9. Septemberly [Live]
10. All the Things You Are [Live]
11. I'll Remember April [Live]

Disc 10:

1. Love Chant [Live]
2. Foggy Day [Live]
3. Drums [Live]
4. Haitian Fight Song [Live]
5. Lady Bird [Live]
6. Jump Monk [Alternate Take][Live][#]
7. All the Things You Are [Alternate Take][Live][#]
8. Drums [Alternate Take 1][Live][#]
9. Drums [Alternate Take 2][Live][#]

Disc 11:

1. I'll Remember April [Alternate Take][Live][#]
2. Foggy Day [Alternate Take][Live][#]
3. Portrait of Bud Powell [Live][#]
4. Haitian Fight Song [Alternate Take][Live][#]
5. Love Chant [Alternate Take][Live][#]
6. Lady Bird [Alternate Take][Live][#]
7. What Is This Thing Called Love? [Fragment][Live][#]
8. Latter Day Saint
9. Cunningbird
10. Jumpin' Blues (Jump the Blues Away)
11. Masher
12. Latter Day Saint [Alternate Take 1][#]
13. Latter Day Saint [Alternate Take 2][#]

Disc 12:

1. Masher [Alternate Take][#]
2. Latter Day Saint [Alternate Take #?][#]
3. Stella by Starlight [Take 4][#]
4. Stella by Starlight [Take 5][#]
5. Autumn in New York [Take 1][#]
6. Autumn in New York [Take 2]
7. Long Ago (And Far Away) [Take 2][#]
8. Long Ago (And Far Away) [Take 4][#]
9. Long Ago (And Far Away) [Take 5][#]
10. Joldi [Take 4][#]
11. Joldi [Take 5][#]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #113029 in Music
• Released on: 1991-07-01
• Number of discs: 12
• Format: Box set

Amazon.com
The Debut label was created by bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach to get their compositions recorded and released, a landmark 1950s effort in the history of jazz musicians taking the initiative both to control their work and to make it public. This 12-CD set--nearly 14 hours of music--is an exhaustive collection of Mingus's work for the label, both as leader and sideman, abounding in unreleased takes and obscure sessions. Some of the material is well known, such as the extraordinary 1953 Massey Hall concert with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell along with Mingus and Roach, but it's heard here in both its original form as well the version with Mingus's overdubbed bass parts. Pianist Paul Bley recorded his first date as leader for Debut, in a trio with Mingus and Art Blakey, and that's here as well.

Mingus's own early work is here in abundance, from early third-stream efforts involving John Lewis and Lee Konitz to the 1955 quintet recordings at the Café Bohemia. What's most astonishing here, though, isn't the cast of greats--such as J.J. Johnson and the Jones brothers Elvin, Thad, and Hank--but the number of largely forgotten musicians with whom Mingus worked. The members of the 1955 band--such as saxophonist George Barrow and trombonist Eddie Bert--weren't well known then or later, but Mingus is clearly pressing them to the point where his own brooding, tempestuous music is beginning to take shape. With its wealth of alternate takes, this is clearly a set for the serious collector, an intimate and detailed portrait of Mingus in an era of tremendous creative ferment. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

All The Early Mingus I Can Handle
Wow! Extensive box set. All of this music is above average jazz, but not all of it is up to Mingus' standards. The music on this box was recorded before the initial breakthrough Mingus triumph of "Pithecantropus Erectus."

Mingus formed the small Debut record company in the early '50s with fellow jazz great, drummer Max Roach. Times were hard. Running the company and playing on all the tracks of his own albums, as well as others' albums took quite a toll on Mingus.

Until....Epithany. Mingus found the formula for success by allowing his players a freer, more improv approach, other than sticking to the written out structures. This worked. MINGUS AT THE BOHEMIA, included in it's entirety (which is far more than originally issued on the single album) really shows Mingus coming into his own as a leader.

Early versions of "Haitian Fight Song," and "A Foggy Day" are included, giving insight to each song's developement.

"Rhapsody In Blue," "Jeepers Creepers," "A Night In Tunisia," and "Cherokee" are standouts.

Contains a rare Miles Davis album, "Blue Moods," with Mingus on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. Very cool.

Also contains the entire "Jazz At Massey Hall" concert featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Max Roach, and ofcourse, Charles Mingus.

If you are interested in the developement of Charles Mingus, this is a prime place to stop.

Very nice packaging and informative booklet.

May be too much material for the casual fan.