02-05-2012, 21:22
SteveO Wrote:CHARLES MINGUS - Jazz Composers Workshop (1955)
Charles Mingus, bassist, pianist, composer and band leader, is possibly the greatest jazz composer in history...at the least definitely one of the best! His masterpiece The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady (1963) is still regarded as the "best" jazz album in history even after all of nearly 50 years!
On this album, Jazz Composers Workshop, Mingus shows us his passion for contemporary classical music along with innovative jazz phrasings to old standards. It was the beginning of exciting things to come. On this recording Mingus is accompanied by a quartet of saxophones, clarinet, piano and drums. The most notable player is Mal Waldron on piano who later on in his career would delve into the avant garde jazz genre. Also on saxophones and clarinet is Teo Macero who produced Miles Davis' masterpiece Kind of Blue.
I will have to listen to that album as i need to get more mjngus