Customer Reviews

East Coasting

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Charles Mingus was one of the great jazz composers and bassists. His career began with stints in the bands of Kid Ory and Louis Armstrong in the early `40s when he was barely out of his teens. He went on to become a monster in the jazz world, both as a musician and as a larger-than-life personality known for his anger at racial injustice and his one-man war with the music industry.

His 1959 masterpiece, Mingus Ah Um, is an essential in any jazz collection, and Pithecanthropus Erectus, Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus and The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady are also required listening. East Coasting, recorded in August, 1957, is not as well known, but its resurrection as part of Shout! Factory's reissue program of classic albums from the catalog of the long defunct Bethlehem record label has its share of masterful moments, compositionally and in its arrangements, that should bring it a deserved reevaluation and overdue recognition.

Many of the standard Mingus musical tricks are on display here, from the finely crafted melodic statements to the free-flowing group improvisations. "Celia" foreshadows "Self Portrait in Three Colors" on Mingus Ah Um, the title track cooks with fine-tuned bop precision, and "West Coast Ghost" purrs with echoes of Ellington but with that cross-horn interplay so distinctive to the bassist's writing. The opening harmonies of "Conversation" are almost Oliver Nelson-ish, but devolve soon enough into the trademark phrase trading commonplace in Mingus' music.

The sextet lineup includes Mingus stalwarts Jimmy Knepper on trombone and Dannie Richmond behind the drums, while the piano chair is occupied by Bill Evans just months before he joined Miles Davis for what would be a seminal but short lived partnership ultimately yielding Kind of Blue. --Jim Newsom

Originally published in Port Folio Weekly - January 10, 2006
Copyright 2006 Port Folio Weekly. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

This record isn't usually mentioned when people discuss Charles Mingus -- granted, his complex discography makes it easy to overlook quite a few notable sessions -- and that's a shame because "East Coasting" is an excellent, energetic, and joyful recording. The snappy title cut and the gorgeous treatment of the standard "Memories of You" are worth the price of admission alone. This obscure gem is not just for completists -- it's prime Mingus. Check it out!

...the more I love this album. This is not typical Mingus recording. However, it is classic bop. Incredible tight and smooth play by all the musicians involved. The title track "East Coasting" is especially good.

I developed a fanaticism for Mingus because his music is so unpredictable always changing, so powerful his sounds fulfills every crack in the air, so sophisticated his music soars through different musical moods. When one listens to Mingus, it is necessary to be in the right state of mind, and all one can and should do is simply listen. In this recording "East Costing" His usual complex musical architecture where the forms flow erratically, take a more "west cost" approach. The sounds are rounder, are more linear yet a dynamically progressing through the more settle array of musical colorations. Ingeniously, he also manages, unknowingly to the listener, to vaguely introduce his ultimate him "complexity, chaos and above all human nature." This CD is a gateway for those who have unsuccessfully tried to enter his musical world. This side of Mingus will undoubtedly be a more gentle way to initiate an understanding of the mind of such a GIANT music/jazz composer. Wonderful CD highly recommended.

Charles Mingus is usually known for his wild, soulful and avant-garde compositions. "East Coasting" is mellow by comparison, but it still cooks on a musical level. The Mingus touches are there; the trombone, drummer Danny Richmond--who was so essential to the Mingus sound in Charles' Atlantic recordings-- and of course the dark emotional undercurrent looms large, too. The personnel are all Mingus regulars, except for pianist Bill Evans, who would not be described as "soulful" in the traditional sense, but his introverted and sensitive style works well with Ming's music. His playing on "West Coast Ghost" (the album's stand-out track) and "Celia" are two examples of Evans' ability to understand an artist's musical vision and play accordingly in his own beautifully original style.

As for the title of this review, it fits because "East Coasting" sounds like the prototypical 1950s Jazz recording. It's something one would hear in an attic converted to a bedroom where an artist or lonely soul might live. It's what a lot of people might believe Jazz would or should sound like. Highly recommended to Jazz lovers and perhaps more importantly- to young people who have just been blown away by Kerouac's novel "On the Road" and have become interested in exploring Jazz. "East Coasting" will allow them to get a taste of lost creative America.

Charles Mingus is usually known for his wild, soulful and avant-garde compositions. "East Coasting" is mellow by comparison, but still cooks on a musical level. The Mingus touches are still there, the trombone, drummer Danny Richmond (who was so essential to the Mingus sound in Charles' Atlantic recordings) and of course the dark emotional undercurrent looms large, too. The personnel are Mingus regulars, except for pianist Bill Evans, who would not be described as "soulful" in the traditional sense, but his introverted and sensitive style meshes well with Mingus' music. His playing on "West Coast Ghost" (the album's stand-out track) and "Celia" are just some instances of Evans' ability to understand an artist's musical vision and play accordingly in his own beautifully original style.

As for the title of my review, I say Hipster-Style Jazz because "East Coasting" sounds like the prototypical 1950s "Hip Jazz" recording. It's like something one might hear in an attic converted to a bedroom where an artist or lonely soul might live. It's what a lot of people might believe Jazz would or should sound like. Highly recommended to Jazz lovers and perhaps more importantly- to young people who've just been blown away by Kerouac's novel "On the Road" and have become interested in exploring Jazz. "East Coasting" will allow them to get a taste of lost creative America.

I found this album by accident at a mall music store in the bin for CD's that are specially ordered and then not picked up. I paid [a small amount of money]and found an outstanding piece of music that is still a CD that finds a lot of time in my player.

The opening cut, "Memories of you" is one of my all-time favorites to lay back and listen to. It is an almost haunting rendition.

It is not neccesarily the same style you would find on other Mingus records, but definitely worth picking up!

From the GQ cover photo to the laid-back sound of Mingus' band, it is remarkable to think that this is the basic group of musicians that would later go on to record Mingus Ah Um just 2 years down the road. The hard-bop style of the period (1957) is displayed nicely here by Mingus and his cohorts. This could honestly pass for a Blue Note recording of the time, it is that much a blueprint for the genre. I had to pinch myself a few times for thinking that someone had secretly replaced the CD with a Miles Davis album.

Not that any of it is bad, mind you. Just after hearing the angularities and fire of other sessions, this comes off as being a surprise. There are still some instances of the hallmark Mingus harmonies and hard-turns, but hearing them nestled amongst this quietly unassuming stock jazz is... well you can decide for yourself. Even without the strident urgency of his well-known stuff, I still like it.

This is Mingus in a classic be-bop mode, playing originals along with a single standard. The rhythm section features Danny Richmond and an early Bill Evans playing in a Bud Powell influenced style; they groove hard together. There is also an amazing trumpet player who unfortunately sank into obscurity in subsequent years. A definite 4 and a half stars.

If you were putting together your list of 50's-60's jazz guys who should've played with Charles Mingus, you might not put the calm and cool Bill Evans on that list. Surprisingly, he played with Mingus on this record before he became a little better known. Despite the possible mismatch, Bill Evans sounds fine, though he's playing rather softly.

"Memories of You" starts the CD with a pretty melody and a nice trombone solo by Jimmy Knepper. This song sets the mood for the CD, it's nice, but you're liable to miss a few things unless you turn it up and listen carefully. "East Coasting" is a faster track, it has a little of Mingus's earthy flavor. "West Coast Ghost" has a wailing quality that Mingus excels at. "Celia" is another pretty one. "Conversation" is bluesy, but doesn't feel like it gets off the ground to me. "51 St. Blues" has the start of a good melody, but the quick triplets in it make it feel like the band is forcing the Mingus flavor.

It's pretty good, but why 3 stars? Just to differentiate it from the better Mingus stuff. If this were Joe Schmoe, saxophonist, I'd probably give it 4 stars. For the prospective buyer, I'd work my way through the better-regarded Mingus CD's first, then pick this up later.