Customer Reviews

Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Charles Mingus

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I haven't heard this CD, but as someone who owns a couple dozen Mingus albums, I can see by the song selection that this is a pretty good overview of Mingus' career. Purists will argue that consumers would be better off just buying classic Mingus recordings like "Ah Um," "East Coasting," "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" and "Changes One" separately, and there's some merit to that argument. You simply can't encapsulate the career of a musician like Mingus on one disc, and more serious listeners might well want to proceed to the aforementioned CDs, each of which gives a more complete sense of Mingus' ideas during one particular period. But for the person who's just watched Ken Burns' Jazz and is seeking a convenient entry point/overview for Mingus, this disc will not disappoint. It contains the must-have classics like "Haitian Fight Song," "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" and "Better Get it in Your Soul" as well as a piece of the long suite, "The Black Saint..." Enjoy, but beware: you may soon find yourself wanting more.

Before buying this album I really wasn't that familiar with Mingus. And that is the great thing about the Ken Burn's Jazz Series. It introduces artists to people who may not have known that much about them before. I have a few of the Ken Burns cds, and find them an excellent way to discover an artists work over many years and record labels. It annoys me when I see people criticizing the work Ken Burns did on his documentary series and these albums. Of course nothing is perfect, but it did bring a whole new flock of fans to jazz, and that can only be a good thing.

This album by Mingus happens to be my favourite so far out of the KB's collection that I have. And I will most definately be buying more albums by Mingus in the near future. And it's all thanks to this cd. The 12 page booklet contains photos and an essay on Mingus. Highly recommended.

I'm really enjoying this CD but only starting to get to know it. I just wanted to correct an error in a previous review--the sound quality of this CD is excellent. What sounds like distortion on a poor pair of speakers is revealed by good speakers to be the sound of spit rattling around in some of the wind instruments.

Falls a little short for a one CD definitive overview of Mingus. A big omission is 'Pithecantropus Erectus', an essential track in Mingus discography and probably my favourite of his compositions. Why including 'Mood Indigo'? He was very much influenced by the Duke and he would be the first to tell you that, but is an insult not to include another Mingus original instead of this one. STill, is a very good introduction to his music.

As far as `best of' compilations of Charles Mingus go, this Ken Burn selection is the one I always go back to when I fancy some Mingus and don't want a complete album. From the opening bass of `Haitian Fight Song' the hairs stand up on the base of my neck and they stay that way for the duration of this CD. There is an essay inside the booklet which puts the music into greater context, but more often than not you can let the music do the talking and let yourself become immersed in the hypnotic rhythms he creates. Mingus was renowned for his outspokenness and firey personality (and that came across full force in his autobiography `Beneath the Underdog', which makes for unique and fascinating reading) and you can see that aspect in his music. The way he attacks certain pieces of music is breath taking and yet he can also play with extreme nuance and deftness of touch. Truly a master of his art. This is an excellent selection of tracks and for those new to Mingus I'd highly recommend you take a look here.

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Listen kids. A lot of people wrote reviews who say they have never really been into jazz, but thanks to Mr. Burns, now they love it. Then they continue to either bash this cd and say Mr. Burns is an overrated incompetent moron, or they'll say that they love it but they can't explain why. I play jazz bass myself. Mingus is The Bass Player. Anyone that will ever play jazz bass will learn that Mingus was a founder of great music. He prefected the art of the rythmic bass. No one comes close to him. He is The Virtuoso. If you are into jazz, don't ever tell anyone that you don't own a Mingus cd. You must own a Mingus cd. If not this one, another but you must get one; steal, lie, cheat and kill for a Mingus cd, because nobody who was ever a jazz listener didn't already own a Mingus cd. This is a good example of a good Mingus cd. It takes all of his classic songs and puts them all on one nicely done compilation. I would definetely recommend this album. The quality isn't great, but then again only something heard live can really satisfy you; too bad he's dead. GET THIS CD!

Although a lot of people take their shots at the Ken Burns Jazz sets and compilation cd's, the compilation cd's are the best best of's I've ever seen and one cd with Original Faubus Fables, Better Git Hit in Yo Soul, and Mood Indigo is pure gold in my view.

Even the cover is cool. Mingus was the stereotypical "beatnik" with the beret hat, the goatee, and the "jelly roll soul." Mingus was just a cool hep cat who knew where it was at. Eat that Chicken is a great song. It's very funny that the Great Mingus just took the stereotype of Black people loving chicken to his advantage in a great song. Mingus was a great Genius. My introduction to Mingus was through the song, Original Faubus Fables in the great Ken Burns Jazz set. It blew me to the back of the room with it's very distinctive sound. Charles Mingus (1922-1979) had a great combination of soul, the blues, and New Orleans style mixed with bebop.

The best intro to Mingus, most Mingus fans say, is through the 1959 classic album, "Ah Um;" but this is probably the best alternative, although I must say that Ah Um is great.

Either get this or Ah Um; or if you have the cash, you're the lucky sob who can buy the great set "Passions of a Man" Complete Atlantic Recordings of Charles Mingus 1956-1961!

Better Git Hit in Yo' Soul or you'll be angrier than Mingus!!

5 stars for the music, 4 for the sound, but only 1 for the concept. With so many great Mingus albums in print, why buy theis one, which only serves to funnel some of the royalties off to Ken Burns' operation?

If you're looking to start listening to Mingus, buy "Mingus Ah Um", which has the advantage of being available in a fabulous remstered version. Then, when you start buying more Mingus you won't have to repurchase a copy of every tune on this disc to get the rest of the great tunes.

One of the more disappointing anthologies and remastered recordings in the Burns' single-disc collections. The bass is overly boosted on just about every track (Mingus never sounded this boomy on the original recordings or in person), and there's noticeable distortion on several tracks, due to an overly "hot" mix. Moreover, you won't find anything from Mingus' great "Tijuana Moods" album or from the later groups with players such as John Faddis and Charles Mcpherson. This is one instance where the convenience of the CD doesn't outweigh the attractions of playing the old, original LP's.

I am new to mingus, but this definitive collection says a lot about a musician of this caliber. The music is definitive of the art, definitive of the artist, and definitive for this era. You have to appreciate the sound of jazz, it is seen throughout music today. Musical Genius.