Here it is, your first monthly installment of the summer listening! What I'd like you to do is listen to these two albums and send me an email with your impressions, thoughts, and/or questions. Since these are provided courtesy of Lala.com, you will only be able to listen to each track once. After that, you will only be able to listen to 30 second samples unless you join and purchase the album.
The first album up is one of the many great albums from 1959 that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Mingus Ah Um by the great composer and bassist, Charles Mingus. Some important things to listen for:
- Most of what Mingus wrote is steeped in the blues, and this album is no exception. Listen to the bluesy phrases even in tunes that aren't in the 12-bar form (for example, the head to "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat."
- Mingus' band is very loose--they always stay together in perfect time, but it never feels uptight. There is always that sense that he values each player's individuality enough to allow them some flexibility in playing the heads.
- "Better Git It" is a great example of bluesy, gospel-style playing.
- "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" was written in memory of the great swing-era tenor player, Lester Young, who was known as "Prez," short for "The President."
- "Self-Portrait" is a rare jazz tune with no improvisation. It's a single chord progression of 14.5 bars (there's a 2/4 bar in there somewhere). The horns play it three times, adding a counterline the second time and another on the third.
- "Open Letter" and "Bird Calls" are tributes to Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, respectively.
- "Fable of Faubus" is one of the many tunes that Mingus wrote and then gave politically charged titles. Orval Faubus was the Arkansas governor who, in defiance of the U.S. Supreme Court, ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the "Little Rock Nine" from integrating a Little Rock high school.
- "Jelly Roll" is for the the great early jazz pianist, composer, and band leader, Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton.
The final three tracks are optional listening. They were not on the original LP release in 1959 due to the fact that vinyl records could only hold about 45 minutes of music total. You can read a bit more about the album on AllMusic.
The next album I'd like you to check out is much more recent, and it's by another bassist composer, Ben Allison. Little Things Run the World was released in 2008, and it is much more rock-influenced. Read these reviews as you listen to the album:
- All About Jazz
- AllMusic
- Palmetto Records--this is the label that released the disc, and the article includes some of Allison's own thoughts about the recording.
That's all for June. Enjoy your listening!
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