Charles Mingus - Passions Of A Man : The Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961 (Repost)

PASSIONS OF A MAN includes every album Mingus made during his first tenure at Atlantic Records. These recordings include PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS, THE CLOWN, BLUES AND ROOTS, MINGUS AT ANTIBES, OH YEAH and TONIGHT AT NOON, a compilation of 1957 and 1961 sessions making its first CD appearance. Of the 6 disc set, the last disc is a 75-minute interview with producer Nesuhi Ertegun.

These are the complete Atlantic recordings of Charles Mingus from 1956-1961. He was with the label again for a second period from '73 until his death in '79; this set focuses solely on his groundbreaking first tenure. The resulting six CDs are a powerful portrait of a man taking in the world around him and turning it into compositions of timeless beauty, focused anger, quiet redemption, sad observations, and boundless hope.

Rooted in blues, gospel, Afro-American folk idioms, Dixieland, bop, and even modernist classical landscapes, Mingus was never short of confidence in and commitment to his vision. That he surrounded himself with such a gallery of monumental and innovative players is a testament both to his good taste and their desire to be a part of something this big and this perfect. Among others, his soloists include Bud Powell, Eric Dolphy, Roland Kirk, Jackie McLean, Pepper Adams, John Handy, and Mal Waldron. This is a colossal document, beautifully annotated and packaged, and a cornerstone of any jazz library.

CD Universe

Disc 1 TT 61:38

1 Pithecanthropus Erectus 10:33
2 A Foggy Day 7:47 (George Gershwin)
3 Love Chant 14:56
4 Profile Of Jackie 3:07
5 Laura 4:52 (David Raskin)
6 When Your Lover Has Gone 2:27 (Einar Aaron Swan)
7 Just One Of Those Things 6:06 (Cole Porter)
8 Blue Greens 11:42 (Teddy Charles)

Disc 2 TT 56:21

1 The Clown 12:29
2 Passions Of A Woman Loved 9:43
3 Blue Cee 7:48
4 Tonight At Noon 5:58
5 Reincarnation Of A Lovebird 8:31
6 Haitian Fight Song 11:57

Disc 3 TT 70:20

1 E's Flat Ah's Flat Too 6:37
2 My Jelly Roll Sou 6:47
3 Tensions 6:27
4 Moanin' 7:57
5 Cryin' Blues 4:58
6 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting 5:42
7 E's Flat Ah's Flat Too (Alternate Take) 7:16
8 My Jelly Roll Soul (Alternate Take) 11:51
9 Tensions (Alternate Take) 5:30
10 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (Alternate Take) 6:56

Disc 4 TT 71:40

1 Prayer For Passive Resistance 8:06
2 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting 11:54
3 Folk Forms I 11:08
4 What Love? 13:34
5 I'll Remember April 13:39 (DePaul, Johnston, Raye)

Disc 5 TT 67:34

1 Devil Woman 9:38
2 Ecclusiastics 6:55
3 "Old" Blues For Walt's Torin 8:59
4 Peggy's Blue Skylight 9:42
5 Hog Callin' Blues 7:26
6 Oh Lord Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me 5:38
7 Passions Of A Man 4:52
8 Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am 4:41
9 Invisible Lady 4:49
10 Eat That Chicken 4:36

Disc 6 TT app. 75:00

1 Charles Mingus interviewed by Nesuhi Ertegun 75:00

All compositions by Charles Mingus unless otherwise noted

Personnel

Disc 1, 1-5:

Charles Mingus - bass
Jackie McLean - alto sax
J.R. Monterose - tenor sax
Mal Waldron - piano
Willie Jones - drums

Disc 1, 5-8:

Teddy Charles - vibes
Hall Overton - piano
Charles Mingus - bass
Ed Shaughnessy - drums

Disc 2

Charles Mingus - bass
Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter) - tenor sax
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Wade Legge - piano
Dannie Richmond - drums
Jean Shepherd - improvised narration on 'The Clown'

Disc 3

Charles Mingus - bass
John Handy - alto sax
Jackie McLean - alto sax
Booker Ervin -tenor sax
Pepper Adams - baritone sax
Willie Dennis - trombone
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Horace Parlan - piano (except 1 and 7)
Mal Waldron - piano (on 1 and 7)

Disc 4

Charles Mingus - bass, piano (on 2,3)
Eric Dolphy - alto sax, bass clarinet (on 5)
Booker Ervin - tenor sax (on 1-5)
Ted Curson - trumpet
Bud Powell - piano (on 6)

Disc 5

Charles Mingus - piano, vocal
Roland Kirk - tenor sax, flute, siren, manzello, strich
Booker Ervin - tenor sax
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Doug Watkins - bass
Dannie Richmond - drums

Date and location

Disc 1, 1-5 January 30, 1956 Audio-Video Studios, New York City
Disc 1, 5-8 November 12, 1956 New York City
Disc 2, 1 February 13, 1957 Audio-Video Studios, New York City
Disc 2: 2-6 March 12, 1957 Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 3 February 4, 1959 Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 4 July 13, 1960 Antibes Jazz Festival, Juan-les-Pins, France
Disc 5 November 6, 1961 Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 6 late 1961/early 1962 Nesuhi Ertegun's office, Atlantic Records, New York City

Total time approx 400 minutes
Original issue (year)

Disc 1, 1-5 Atlantic 1237 "Pithecanthropus Erectus" July 1956
Disc 1, 5-8 Atlantic 1274 Teddy Charles' "Word From Bird" June 1958
Disc 2, 1,3,5,6 Atlantic 1260 "The Clown" August 1957
Disc 2, 2,4; Disc 5, 3,4,9
Atlantic 1416 "Tonight At Noon" June 1964
Disc 3, 1-6 Atlantic 1305 "Blues & Roots" March 1960
Disc 3, 7-10 previosly unissued
Disc 4 Atlantic 2-3001 "Mingus At Antibes" October 1979
Disc 5, 1,2,5-8,10 Atlantic 1377 "Oh Yeah" April 1962
Disc 6 previously unissued extended interview; edited version originally appeared on
CD reissue of "Oh Yeah", Atlantic 90667-2 1988