Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus: Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) LP

Impulse!, 1964

Here, bassist, bandleader and composer Charles Mingus leads two different 12-piece ensembles through a selection of some of his best-known compositions, while taking the opportunity to revamp and update them. The titles are changed too – so “Haitian Fight Song” becomes “II B.S.,” “Theme For Lester Young” is a new version of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” and so on. There’s also a gorgeously sleepy interpretation of Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo.” The performances are all exquisite, as you’d expect from bands featuring some of Mingus’s most important collaborators including multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy and pianist Jaki Byard. It’s timeless, essential jazz.

Tracklist & Credits

All but two tracks on Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus were re-interpretations of songs from the bassist's earlier catalog, only "Celia" rates as a new original number, and "Mood Indigo" is a cover of the famous tune by Mingus's hero Duke Ellington. If you happen to have lost your Mingus decoder ring, the remaining tracks correlate to their past counterparts as such:

"II B.S." = "Haitian Fight Song"
"I X Love" = "Nouroog"
"Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" = "Better Git It In Yo' Soul"
"Theme For Lester Young" = "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"
"Hora Decubitus" = "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too"

For Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus Mingus collaborated with arranger/orchestrator Bob Hammer to score the music for the large ensemble of brass and saxophones. Recorded January 20 and September 20, 1963 in New York City.

Tracklist: