CHARLES MINGUS — Mingus Ah Um (review)

CHARLES MINGUS — Mingus Ah Um album cover Album · 1959 · Hard Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Sean Trane
Another universally-accepted Mingus milestone, on that came in the banner year of 1959, although this writer doesn’t think it’s one of the best of that year. If in Erectus, Mingus had not yet assembled his usual-suspects gang, by the recording of 57’s Tijuana Moods, it was more or less done, even if the album was inexplicably shelved until 62. Sooo, by Ah Um, Knepper, Handy, Hadi and Richmond were Mingus lieutenants and these guys play like one man. Note that Columbia label seemed to be on a roll about more abstract artworks, as this one is very reminscent of Brubeck's Time Out, out that same year.

Opening on the enthralling Better Get It In Your Soul, the album comes to one of the most reprised jazz number in history, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, making Ah Um an incredible starter. As you can Imagine Boogie Stop Shuffle is another enthralling brassy affair that keeps the momentum going. Unfortunately much of that happy-go-lucky inertia is somewhat lost on the slow and soppy Self Portrait, and worse, the slightly-dissonant boppy Open Letter To Duke sounds kind of awkward in the album’s overall colour (so far).

On the flipside, Bird Calls sounds a bit like the birds had gastro-enteritis, because the semi-dissonant hard-bop hardly sounds like any birdsong they’d sing in the wee hours of the morning or any other time (except maybe between the cat’s claws), except maybe for Bird Parker. Personally, by reading its title, I expected Fables Of Faubus to be innovative or experimental, but let’s face it, if a little less accessible to the mainstream crowd, it’s not like it’ll draw any disapproving grimaces. After the gently sensual Pussy Cat Does (what? we’d like to know, Charles;o))) that somewhat overstays its welcome with its over 9-mins length (in JR/F, I’d say yummy ;o))), the album closes on another biggie in the crowd-pleaser category Jelly Roll, but again nothing revolutionary or innovative, like Mingus had gotten us accustomed by now.

As for the three bonus tracks on the CBS remaster are of the same ilk, if a tad more piano-ish for Pedal Point Blues, but the boppy GG Train or the swingy Girl Of My Desire are definitely worthy of making the original cut of the album, but would’ve failed to raise the overall debate on a more challenging side. Soooo, in the revolutionary year of 1959, I find that Mingus’ better-known contributions is a bit of a miss, precisely because it fails to be innovative, especially considering his two prior chef d’oeuvre (mentioned in the fist paragraph). Yes, it’s quite successful and in some ways rivals with Kind Of Blue or Time Out, but this is not Mingus’ best effort, IMHO.

Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

The Vinny Golia Quintet 2024 : Almasty Avant-Garde Jazz
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anaconga RnB
CITRUS SUN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Shoot For The Moon Pop/Art Song/Folk
DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Timeless Post-Fusion Contemporary
DAVID BENOIT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Nothing Pop/Art Song/Folk
LOUIS COLE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Songs My Mom Liked EPK - Anthony Branker
ANTHONY BRANKER
js· 10 hours ago
“INFLUENCES” by Jared Hall, trumpeter & composer
JARED HALL
js· 10 hours ago
Jean-Pierre (feat. Darryl Jones)
BILL EVANS (SAX)
snobb· 21 hours ago
Magic Box
CHRISTOPHE MARGUET
snobb· 21 hours ago
The Peacocks
ANTOINE DRYE
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed