Stunning stuff – and one of the greatest Charles Mingus albums of all time – a true treasure recorded in that magical year of 1957, when Mingus was finally finding his strongest voice in modern music! The album's near-perfect from start to finish – as bold a statement in jazz as anyone might be allowed to make in the late 50s, yet still always focused, driven, and wrapped up with a tremendous sense of energy. The tracks are all quite long – perfect vehicles for Mingus to reach his full level of expression – played by a group that includes Curtis Porter on tenor and alto sax, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Wade Legge on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums – making an early appearance in his alliance with Mingus that would last for many many years. Titles include classic versions of "Haitian Fight Song", "Blue Cee", and "Reincarnation Of A Lovebird" – plus "The Clown", which features a long improvised monologue by Jean Shephard! CD

A wonderful later album by Charles Mingus – recorded under the supervision of vibist Lionel Hampton, who's also playing on the set! The album's got a rolling groove that's a bit different from other Mingus work of the time – possibly a bit more optimistic and warm, although still carried off with a nice edge in the arrangements. Players include Woody Shaw, Ricky Rod, Dannie Richmond, and even Gerry Mulligan – and the use of vibes brings a new sense of tone and color to Mingus' world, in a way that we really wouldn't expect. Titles include "Just For Laughs (parts 1 & 2)", "Slop", "Caroline Keikke Mingus", "Farewell Farewell", "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Light", and "Fables Of Faubus". CD

Live recording with Charles McPherson on alto, Bobby Jones on tenor, Eddie Preston on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, Mingus on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. Tracks include "Gables of Faubus", "The Man Who Never Sleeps", "Ellington Medley", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress", and "She's Funny That Way". CD

A fantastic live performance from Charles Mingus – recorded in Detroit, with a slightly unusual group – and done with the more open, freewheeling quality that grace his live recordings of the early 60s! The set was recorded at the Strata Gallery – and has some of the deeper spiritual currents of the work on Detroit's Strata label – as the quintet burns beautifully with contributions from Don Pullen on piano, John Stubblefield on tenor, Joe Gardner on trumpet, and the great Roy Brooks on drums! It's interesting both to hear Mingus without Dannie Richmond on drums – and Brooks at a time when he was at his most righteous – and the pairing really seems to bring a lot of the best energy out of the other players too. The super-expanded set features material from a few nights of performance, with a few alternate takes – and titles include "The Man Who Never Sleeps", "Pithecanthropus Erectus", "Peggy's Blue Skylight", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk", "Dizzy Profile", and "C Jam Blues". CD

Key moments in the career of Charles Mingus – all recorded during the crucial years of 1964 and 1965, and featuring the first-time release of a fair bit of live material too! The set represents the first full presentation of recordings that have appeared piecemeal on a handful of obscure releases – self-released records from Mingus himself – Town Hall, My Favorite Quintet, and Music Written For Monterey – all really expanded here with the full recordings of the tracks, and unreleased titles provided from the original tapes! Mingus was really on fire during these years – severed from most of his bigger label associations, and freely working on some of his most inventive ideas with various smaller groups of players – all fresh young talents who were key interpreters of Charles' ideas – including Johnny Coles and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, Jimmy Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn, Charles McPherson on alto sax, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, Eric Dolphy on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. The stalwart Dannie Richmond is on drums, and the sides represent some of Dolphy's last, and most important recordings on the planet – recordings done at Town Hall and in Amsterdam in April of 1964 – in addition to live material at Monterey in 1964 and 1965, in Minneapolis in May of 1965. Tracks are all quite long – some pushing the half-hour timing – and as with the best live Mingus, there's variations here that go way past any studio readings – really incredible solo flights that are still beautifully integrated with the ideas of the main group. Titles include "So Long Eric", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk", "Mingus Piano Solo", "Bird Preamble", "Themeless Blues", "Copa City Titty", "A Lonely Day In Selma", "Cocktails For Two", "Praying With Eric", "Parkeriana", "ATFW", "Meditations On A Pair Of Wire Cutters", and "Meditations On Integration". 7CDs, limited edition, and with a great book of notes too! CD

Two rare slices of Charles Mingus from the 50s – back to back on a single CD! First up is a Charles Mingus Octet session, originally released as a 10" LP – and a date that shows some of the first complicated orchestrations from the legendary bassist! The music here already has the creatively complex feel of Mingus' better-known mid 50s sessions – like the Jazz Composers Workshop date on Savoy, or the Bethlehem sides – and the interplay between the horn work is really amazing, and worth the price of admission itself! Players include Willie Dennis on trombone, Teo Macero on tenor, Eddie Caine on alto and flute, Ernie Royal on trumpet, and Danny Bank on baritone. Nadi Qamar conducts, and other players include John Lewis on piano, Mingus on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and Janet Thurlow sings on two titles, "Blue Tide" and "Eclipse". Other tracks include "Miss Bliss", "Pink Topsy", and the CD also features 2 alternates too. Jimmy Knepper heads the next date – a rare 10" outing from 1957, with some killer horn work throughout! The group's a quintet – and the album's easily one of Knepper's most hard-burning, thanks in part to some sharp alto lines from the great Joe Maini, a player we can never get enough of! The rest of the group features Bill Triglia on piano, Mingus on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – and titles include "Cunningbird", "The Masher", "Latter Day Saint", and "The Jumpin Blues" – plus four more bonus alternate takes. CD

A Columbia Records classic by the great Charles Mingus – his follow-up to the seminal Mingus Ah-Um, and a set that's got a very similar flavor! As with some of Mingus' best material for Columbia, the album has him working with a slightly larger ensemble, but still holding onto the intensity of his smaller groups from a few years before – a way of merging the voices of saxophonists like Booker Ervin, John Handy, Benny Goldson, and Jerome Richardson – yet still allowing them space to break out with moments of pride and power that really send the whole thing home! This mix of the individual and ensemble is key to the Mingus genius of the period – and is also heard in the work of Roland Hanna on piano, Donald Ellis on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Theodore Cohen on vibes – all of whom work alongside Charles' key drummer of the time, the great Dannie Richmond. Titles include "Diane", "Song With Orange", "Gunslinging Bird", and "Far Wells Mill Valley" – and a haunting take on "Mood Indigo". CD includes the bonus track "Strollin" and unedited versions of "Slop", "Song With Orange", "Gunslinging Bird", and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" – all of which were originallly shaved down for release on the original album, now here in their proper form for the first time! CD

A stupid title, but a record that features some excellent material from Mingus' fruitful trip to Europe in 1964! The 2CD set brings together live tracks recorded at the Salle Wagram in Paris, played by Mingus with a small group that includes Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordan, Jaki Byard, and Dannie Richmond. Johnny Coles also plays trumpet on a haunting version of "So Long Eric", recorded very shortly before Dolphy's tragic early death – and the set features great long versions of "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk", "Meditations On Integration", and "Fables Of Faubus". Live Mingus is crucial to any fan of this genius – and the kinds of colors and creativity expressed in a live set like this are a key component to an understanding of his music! CD

There's definitely an art to the way that Bennie Wallace handles the saxophone – a style that's schooled in all the best references from the old days, but cast in some fresher, sharper tones as well! It's clear that Bennie's got plenty of love for Coleman Hawkins in his tenor, but also reaches forward to a host of other influences as well – and the arrangements can be quite compelling, especially on some of the more modern moments that come from Wallace's original compositions. Players include John Scofield on guitar, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – and titles include "Thangs", "Edith Head", "Rhythm Head", "Monroe County Moon", and "All Too Soon". CD