I’m not enough of a jazz aficionado to post a proper review but after last year’s discovery of the lost Coltrane tapes there’s another massive find from the vaults out there. In 1972 Charles Mingus broke a years-long musical silence, including concerts in Detroit with a quintet. Recordings from the run via a radio broadcast have emerged – clocking in at four hours of Mingus magic including interviews and announcements, from a short-lived artists space called Strata Gallery.
I don’t quite have the language to really describe these recordings but they sound absolutely brilliant. The tracks are long, long takes on Mingus classics and jazz standards. The quintet all sound at the top of their games, and it hits that spot where there’s improvisation going to the outer limits without ever losing sense of the tune at the base of it all.
Here’s the Pitchfork review which has lots of clever language and gets it right.
Charles Mingus: Jazz In Detroit/Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden is on Spotify and emusic. Have a listen. It’s great.
The radio announcements are a hoot – shout out to Clive’s chili shack.
That is a wonderful record. A band at their peak. Listen to it!
Not sure who was in Mingus’ band on this one but I have some “unauthorised recordings” of Mingus concerts in August ’72 from Copenhagen, London (Ronnie Scott’s) and Loosdrecht in Holland. The London recording in particular is very good quality and was taped over 2 nights. Originally intended to be for an album, but Mingus didn’t like it for some reason and it was shelved.
The London and Loosdrecht concerts are sextet dates with John Faddis – trumpet, Charles McPherson – alto sax, Bobby Jones – tenor sax & clarinet, John Foster – piano and Roy Brooks – drums (& musical saw at Ronnie’s).
The Copenhagen date is a quartet. Mingus, McPherson, Foster & Brooks, with Dexter Gordon guesting on tenor sax. A 25-minute radio broadcast.
This new album is definitely of interest to me.
When I put this set in my list of favourite Reissues and Archival Recordings a month ago, I hadn’t had time to listen to it much. I’ve listened to it more now, and it really it a superb box. If you’ve ever loved the music of Charles Mingus, you owe it to yourself to hear “Jazz in Detroit”. That 25-minute blues that opens Disc 4 (checks track-listing – “Noddin’ Ya Head Blues”) is just COLOSSAL.
Stoppit.
[Chris Packham-esque thigh rubbing ensues]
There is a competition in this months Record Collector to win a free copy.
Was initially quite keen to get this, but reviews suggest you’re paying nearly thirty quid for a five disc box of which approximately two discs worth are non-music i.e. interviews and radio stuff.
Bearing this in mind, should I get it anyway? (I probably will.)
The music is very very good.