Mingus Ah Um

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Editorial reviews

Album Details
Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

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Amazon.com
Mercurial bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus was signed to Columbia Records for the briefest of time during 1959. His Columbia recordings, however, remain some of the most inspired, mood-jumping jazz in history. The flowing sadness of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" (unedited here for the first time on CD!) rings like a funeral chorus that pitches headlong into a celebration of Lester Young's life and improvising flexibility, rather than his death. And there's the funky furnace blast of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (also unedited!), which reaches its glory with Booker Ervin's Texas tenor sax, wrapped tight in bluesy tone. With the index of emotions captured, these songs nail why Mingus is possibly the most relevant jazzer for the '90s generation. He swings and shouts and hollers and somersaults. His tunes either induce foot-stomping with their intensity or reach for poignant yearning with their lyrical tapestry of orchestral colors. --Andrew Bartlett

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Customer reviews

review by: late-to-jazz musician date: 2008-12-11 rating:
The Ultimate Mingus
A while back, I picked up Pithecanthropus Erectus: 1955-1957 as my first dose of Mingus. While I was favorably impressed for the most part, I really didn't see what all the excitement over Charles Mingus was about. But after listening to Ah Um maybe twenty times over a three or four week period, I can safely say I've seen the light. This is one of the most intricate, interesting, brilliantly executed CD's in my burgeoning collection. The backing band is diverse and totally into what Mingus was trying to accomplish. They follow the lead of the driving, swinging rhythm set down by Mingus and capitalize on every opportunity to shine when given a solo. Because all the songs were written by Mingus, the song selection is not exactly mainstream, but I think most jazz enthusiasts will be familiar with a few of these songs. This production quality is very high, the liner notes informative and generous. Total music is almost 73 minutes, and they don't waste a single minute. Because this gets away from the "standard" standards, this is a good change of pace, but it is quintessential jazz and unmistakable Mingus. I have to give it five stars, because this CD is "the max".

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review by: date: 2008-11-25 rating:
Terrific
Classic Mingus. Recommended for jazz fans and those new to the genre. If you're starting a jazz collection, put this album high on the list.

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review by: date: 2008-03-21 rating:
Not to be missed
An essential part of jazz history. The compositions and playing of this group, especially the presence of tenor Booker Ervin, are bound to remain one of the most important contributions to the jazz idiom.

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review by: old school is new cool! date: 2007-03-08 rating:
every once in awhile...
you get a breath of fresh air. its like opening the windows for the first time after a long winter. you've experienced the same thing maybe before but it just feels new.
thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.



review by: computerjazzman date: 2006-12-09 rating:
MINGUS' BEST
This is Charles Mingus' best and most musically accessible alsbum. Recorded in 1959, it is soul stirring, great hard bebop with some fantastic sax playing by the great Booker Ervin. If you are into jazz, then this is an essential addition to your collection. I can never get tired of hearing this CD.

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