Track Listing

1. Slop [Unedited Form]
2. Diane
3. Song With Orange [Unedited Form]
4. Gunslinging Bird [Unedited Form]
5. Things Ain't What They Used to Be [Unedited Form]
6. Far Wells, Mill Valley
7. New Now Know How
8. Mood Indigo
9. Put Me in That Dungeon
10. Strollin' [*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55500 in Music
• Released on: 1999-02-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered

Amazon.com
Like its companions in the button-bursting Complete Columbia Recordings three-CD set, Mingus Dynasty has some expanded pleasures. First, there's the band, which reaches to 10 members for half the tunes here. Second, there's the reissue's unique expansions, returning "Slop," "Song with Orange," "Gunslinging Bird," and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" to their full, unedited length for the first time on CD. Columbia had a bad rep for some of the original edits on this and Mingus Ah Um, and the restorations give a far fleshier feel to these works, all of them balanced on a seesaw of flesh and brawn. There are downright lovely moments, as on "Diane," and moderately punching swingers, as on "Slop" and the undertow pull of "Gunslinging Bird." Jerome Richardson does wonders on the baritone sax, tugging the ear to the lower realms so Mingus can thumpily shine on his big axe. Of equal importance are John Handy, busy here training his alto sax to sound unlike anyone else's, and Booker Ervin, busy here giving the band a Texas tenor sound as wide open, unequivocal, and tonally economical as the dusty prairie. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews

Shades of Ellington
Mingus was a great admirer of Duke Ellington and played in the latter's band until a notorious onstage fight with Juan Tizol. This album contains a variety of Mingus sounds, but much of the feeling is rooted in Ellington. This is especially true on "Song with Orange," "Things Ain't What They Used To Be," and, of course, "Mood Indigo."

The opener, "Slop (what a great title!)" is in the tradition of other aggressive blues/gospel inspired pieces like "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting," and "Better Git It Into Your Soul." There are some familiar Mingus motifs, but Mingus "owns" this kind of song--no one does it better.

"Diane" begins with some "classical" piano which is a little overly dramatic at times. However, three minutes into it, Roland Hanna breaks into a soft Bill-Evans like mode, with excellent brush- and cymbal-work by the always-magnificent Dannie Richmond. It's an ambitious, beautiful, piece and mostly successful. "Gunslinging Bird," (the full title, as Mingus states in the excellent liner notes, is "If Charlie Parker Were a Gunslinger There'd Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats"), seems to play Bird as one baad dude.

"Things Ain't What They Used To Be," (written by Mercer Ellington, Duke's son) is relatively straight ahead jazz and borrows elements from Ellington and Basie. The next two numbers are also fairly straight, but are a little disappointing: Except for an intriguing middle sandwiched between a "Sketches of Spain"-like arrangement, "Far Well, Mill Valley" is less challenging than the other cuts (as is also track 7, "New Now Know How.")

The CD closes strong with 3 great tracks: "Mood Indigo," with its great, driving piano and bass playing, the short, interesting "Put Me in That Dungeon," and "Strollin,'" which features vocals by Honey Gordon (sounding wonderfully similar to Ella). This cut was not on the original LP.

Mingus uses Hanna quite extensively on the album, and his contributions are enormous. Jimmy Knepper (trombone) and Booker Ervin (tenor sax) also shine, but really the entire lineup is excellent. ("Pithecanthropus Erectus," by the way, highlights Mingus' bass playing more than does "Mingus Dynasty.") This CD shows the Mingus dynamic within a large group format, and it gets better and better with every hearing. There are the original liner notes, plus additional notes by biographer Brian Priestley, and some excellent photos of Mingus playing and relaxing. Even if you're a Mingus fan with most of his CDs, this is a worthwhile addition.

an encyclopedia of Jazz on one CD...
First off, I really like this CD. I've been listening to jazz since I was a kid and this recording encompasses all that I enjoy in the jazz genre.

I like this set because it is full of surprises - surprises in mood, styles, tempo, keys, and even the spontaneous holler. Ming (he IS one-quarter Chinese) and his largish combos dip their toes and then dive headlong into several jazz styles including bop, straight ahead, slow 'n sultry, solos, horn combos, and even occasionally atonal.

I like this CD because I can hear Mingus play his bass!

I like playing this CD as background at my wine and cheese parties to guide novices unwittingly into all the wonderful flavors of jazz without scaring them (with hard bop) or boring them with mass market cuts. But I really like listening to it alone on Sunday afternoons when I find that each layer I peel reveals to me another to look forward to uncovering the next Sunday afternoon.

In summary, this CD is an encyclopedia, in that it opens the minds of those locked in single styles and artists, with a superb range of textures, tempos, and tunes. And better, it confirms what the jazz sophisticate already knows...when it comes to pleasant surprises and artistic execution, Ming is king.

Strollin'
This is an excellent album. The remastering by Columbia is superb, as well.

This album has a similar feel to it's more famous predecessor, AH UM, but is in no means inferior. The intensity of this music is unmatched.

Songs such as "Strollin'," the humorous "Slop," and "Song With Orange" drive along with a swagger and strut associated only with Mingus' powerful bass.

The song title of "Gunslinging Bird" was shortened from "If Charlie Parker Were A Gunslinger, There Would Be A Whole Lot Of Dead Copy Cats," at the request of Columbia Records.

"Mood Indigo" is a Duke Ellington classic. Mingus takes on this daunting piece with fervor, encouraging his brass players to wheel off tenacious solos.

A wonderful companion to AH UM, but certainly does stand on it's own ground.

Masterful.