Mingus Ah Um [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Mercurial bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus was signed to Columbia Records for the briefest of time during 1959. His Columbia recordings, however, remain some of the most inspired, mood-jumping jazz in history. The flowing sadness of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" (unedited here for the first time on CD!) rings like a funeral chorus that pitches headlong into a celebration of Lester Young's life and improvising flexibility, rather than his death. And there's the funky furnace blast of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (also unedited!), which reaches its glory with Booker Ervin's Texas tenor sax, wrapped tight in bluesy tone. With the index of emotions captured, these songs nail why Mingus is possibly the most relevant jazzer for the '90s generation. He swings and shouts and hollers and somersaults. His tunes either induce foot-stomping with their intensity or reach for poignant yearning with their lyrical tapestry of orchestral colors. --Andrew Bartlett

Product Description
Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Mingus Ah Um,Charles Mingus,Sony,Avant-Garde,Bass,Hard Bop,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Post-Bop,Progressive Big Band,United States of America
Mingus Ah Um
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • every once in awhile...
  • MINGUS' BEST
  • An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus
  • How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus
  • A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece
Mingus Ah Um
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Hard BopHard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Bebop & Post-BopBebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Time Out
  2. A Love Supreme
  3. Kind of Blue
  4. Somethin' Else
  5. Moanin'

ASIN: B00000I14Z
Release Date: 1999-02-16

Tracks:

  1. Better Git It In Your Soul
  2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
  3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
  4. Self-Portrait In Three Colors
  5. Open Letter To Duke
  6. Bird Calls
  7. Fables Of Faubus
  8. Pussy Cat Dues
  9. Jelly Roll
  10. Pedal Point Blues
  11. GG Train
  12. Girl Of My Dreams

Amazon.com

Mercurial bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus was signed to Columbia Records for the briefest of time during 1959. His Columbia recordings, however, remain some of the most inspired, mood-jumping jazz in history. The flowing sadness of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" (unedited here for the first time on CD!) rings like a funeral chorus that pitches headlong into a celebration of Lester Young's life and improvising flexibility, rather than his death. And there's the funky furnace blast of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (also unedited!), which reaches its glory with Booker Ervin's Texas tenor sax, wrapped tight in bluesy tone. With the index of emotions captured, these songs nail why Mingus is possibly the most relevant jazzer for the '90s generation. He swings and shouts and hollers and somersaults. His tunes either induce foot-stomping with their intensity or reach for poignant yearning with their lyrical tapestry of orchestral colors. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Details

Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars every once in awhile..........2007-03-08

you get a breath of fresh air. its like opening the windows for the first time after a long winter. you've experienced the same thing maybe before but it just feels new.
thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.

5 out of 5 stars MINGUS' BEST.......2006-12-10

This is Charles Mingus' best and most musically accessible alsbum. Recorded in 1959, it is soul stirring, great hard bebop with some fantastic sax playing by the great Booker Ervin. If you are into jazz, then this is an essential addition to your collection. I can never get tired of hearing this CD.

5 out of 5 stars An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus.......2006-03-31

This is the CD you should buy if you're new to Mingus. It came out during a highly creative period in his life, and contains some of his most memorable compostions. Ah Um may not be his most ambitious album or his best, but it is one of his most well rounded and diverse, showing many of the styles, quirks and facets that make Charles Mingus one of the top jazz composers of all time. And it's all laid out in easily digestable morsels, ie some of the songs were edited to make them more concise and able to fit on vinyl. Don't worry, the edits are not noticable. Is it bop? Is it post bop? Is it swing? Well, yes and no. Mingus looks not only to big bands, bebop, and hard bop circa 1959, but also gospel, spirituals, pre-jazz and the blues for inspiration. Ah Um is as diverse and eclectic as it is enjoyable. It points the way to the many directions Mingus was exploring or would explore in his later career. Ah Um is a wonderful look into the music of a great mind and is by turns angry, sad, tender, sarcastic, joyful and damn good. You can feel the passion.

5 out of 5 stars How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus.......2006-03-17

1 of 3-5 star lps- (see "Blues and Roots" and "Dynasty") issued by Mingus in 50's. All his own compositions, the song flow is unparalleled. No song can be called better than another, but, of course, we all favor some. Listen to his eloquent 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' Charlie's tribute to lester young. Check out 'Fables of Faubus; and think about.... CIVIL RIGHTS! Overwhelming opening funk/jazz piece "Better Git It In Your Soul" Mingus was certainly a master composer, creator, artist and a central link, between at most, 2 other great jazz composers. Buying this cd is a 'no brainer' for anyone of an age that knows what was, is and will be good for as long as we have ears. Companion cd is "Dynasty". The man who entitled his auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" still gets way too little respect.

5 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece.......2006-01-20

i always knew that Mingus was great...but it was not something that i could attest to through personal experience. i had seen the light that was Coltrane, Davis, Sun Ra, Dolphy...but Mingus' masterpieces somehow eluded me. probably due to the fact that i just simply did not take the time to check them out. well, i picked up Mingus Ah Um (finally)...and it all rang true. not only was this man an excellent bass player, but a true genius in composing. his music shines bright with a broad range of feeling and emotion. the righteous anger is present within the notes...anger that boiled hot over the shakey political/cultural climate of the times. but the music's fire is stoked by coals of passion and sincerity, jazz morphs into the blues and swings into melodies so alive and free that they can't be denied in their originality and greatness. i've been listening to this album only about 10 times and i'm still finding new things revealed to me with each spin. Mingus' vision grows deeper and more profound each time around. and there's so much more to explore and discover.
Mingus Ah Um
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • every once in awhile...
  • MINGUS' BEST
  • An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus
  • How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus
  • A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece
Mingus Ah Um
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Hard BopHard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Time Out
  2. A Love Supreme
  3. Kind of Blue
  4. Somethin' Else
  5. Moanin'

ASIN: B00004S873
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

  1. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul
  2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat [Unedited Form]
  3. Boogie Stop Shuffle [Unedited Form]
  4. Self-Portrait in Three Colors
  5. Open Letter to Duke [Unedited Form]
  6. Bird Calls [Unedited Form]
  7. Fables of Faubus
  8. Pussy Cat Dues
  9. Jelly Roll
  10. Pedal Point Blues [*]
  11. GG Train [*]
  12. Girl of My Dreams [*]

Amazon.com

Mercurial bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus was signed to Columbia Records for the briefest of time during 1959. His Columbia recordings, however, remain some of the most inspired, mood-jumping jazz in history. The flowing sadness of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" (unedited here for the first time on CD!) rings like a funeral chorus that pitches headlong into a celebration of Lester Young's life and improvising flexibility, rather than his death. And there's the funky furnace blast of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (also unedited!), which reaches its glory with Booker Ervin's Texas tenor sax, wrapped tight in bluesy tone. With the index of emotions captured, these songs nail why Mingus is possibly the most relevant jazzer for the '90s generation. He swings and shouts and hollers and somersaults. His tunes either induce foot-stomping with their intensity or reach for poignant yearning with their lyrical tapestry of orchestral colors. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Details

Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars every once in awhile..........2007-03-08

you get a breath of fresh air. its like opening the windows for the first time after a long winter. you've experienced the same thing maybe before but it just feels new.
thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.

5 out of 5 stars MINGUS' BEST.......2006-12-10

This is Charles Mingus' best and most musically accessible alsbum. Recorded in 1959, it is soul stirring, great hard bebop with some fantastic sax playing by the great Booker Ervin. If you are into jazz, then this is an essential addition to your collection. I can never get tired of hearing this CD.

5 out of 5 stars An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus.......2006-03-31

This is the CD you should buy if you're new to Mingus. It came out during a highly creative period in his life, and contains some of his most memorable compostions. Ah Um may not be his most ambitious album or his best, but it is one of his most well rounded and diverse, showing many of the styles, quirks and facets that make Charles Mingus one of the top jazz composers of all time. And it's all laid out in easily digestable morsels, ie some of the songs were edited to make them more concise and able to fit on vinyl. Don't worry, the edits are not noticable. Is it bop? Is it post bop? Is it swing? Well, yes and no. Mingus looks not only to big bands, bebop, and hard bop circa 1959, but also gospel, spirituals, pre-jazz and the blues for inspiration. Ah Um is as diverse and eclectic as it is enjoyable. It points the way to the many directions Mingus was exploring or would explore in his later career. Ah Um is a wonderful look into the music of a great mind and is by turns angry, sad, tender, sarcastic, joyful and damn good. You can feel the passion.

5 out of 5 stars How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus.......2006-03-17

1 of 3-5 star lps- (see "Blues and Roots" and "Dynasty") issued by Mingus in 50's. All his own compositions, the song flow is unparalleled. No song can be called better than another, but, of course, we all favor some. Listen to his eloquent 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' Charlie's tribute to lester young. Check out 'Fables of Faubus; and think about.... CIVIL RIGHTS! Overwhelming opening funk/jazz piece "Better Git It In Your Soul" Mingus was certainly a master composer, creator, artist and a central link, between at most, 2 other great jazz composers. Buying this cd is a 'no brainer' for anyone of an age that knows what was, is and will be good for as long as we have ears. Companion cd is "Dynasty". The man who entitled his auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" still gets way too little respect.

5 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece.......2006-01-20

i always knew that Mingus was great...but it was not something that i could attest to through personal experience. i had seen the light that was Coltrane, Davis, Sun Ra, Dolphy...but Mingus' masterpieces somehow eluded me. probably due to the fact that i just simply did not take the time to check them out. well, i picked up Mingus Ah Um (finally)...and it all rang true. not only was this man an excellent bass player, but a true genius in composing. his music shines bright with a broad range of feeling and emotion. the righteous anger is present within the notes...anger that boiled hot over the shakey political/cultural climate of the times. but the music's fire is stoked by coals of passion and sincerity, jazz morphs into the blues and swings into melodies so alive and free that they can't be denied in their originality and greatness. i've been listening to this album only about 10 times and i'm still finding new things revealed to me with each spin. Mingus' vision grows deeper and more profound each time around. and there's so much more to explore and discover.
Mingus Ah-Um
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Mingus Ah-Um

    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
    JazzJazz | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B000024HHD
    Release Date: 1997-03-01
    Mingus Ah Um
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • every once in awhile...
    • MINGUS' BEST
    • An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus
    • How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus
    • A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece
    Mingus Ah Um
    Charles Mingus
    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Hard BopHard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Time Out
    2. A Love Supreme
    3. Kind of Blue
    4. Somethin' Else
    5. Moanin'

    ASIN: B0000026A8
    Release Date: 1990-10-25

    Tracks:

    1. Better Git It In Your Soul
    2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
    3. Boggie Stop Shuffle
    4. Self-Portrait In Three Colors
    5. Open Letter To Duke
    6. Bird Calls
    7. Fables Of Faubus
    8. Pussy Cat Dues
    9. Jelly Roll

    Amazon.com

    One of the great figures in modern jazz, bassist Charles Mingus was the ultimate triple threat: a master of his instrument, a jazz composer of the first rank, and an insightful leader of a series of extraordinary and incendiary bands. Raised in Los Angeles, Mingus was a devotee of Duke Ellington, whose compositional style had an unsurpassed effect on the young composer. As a player, however, Mingus was drawn to his contemporaries, who included Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, and Max Roach (indeed, Roach and Mingus co-owned their own Debut Records during the '50s). Perhaps his greatest contribution was bridging the gap between those two generations: in Mingus's music, one could always explicitly hear the continuity between the big bands and the bebop era, the affinity between the romantic and the modern. Mingus Ah Um is perhaps the best introduction to his work as a soloist and composer: the nine songs include several of Mingus's signature tunes including "Better Git It in Your Soul," "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," "Fables of Faubus," and "Self-Portrait in Three Colors." All are presented in comparatively succinct form, and elegantly arranged, making this something of a bite-size Mingus sampler. Among the featured soloists are such Mingus stalwarts as Booker Ervin, John Handy, Horace Parlan, and Jimmy Knepper. --Fred Goodman

    Album Details

    Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars every once in awhile..........2007-03-08

    you get a breath of fresh air. its like opening the windows for the first time after a long winter. you've experienced the same thing maybe before but it just feels new.
    thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.

    5 out of 5 stars MINGUS' BEST.......2006-12-10

    This is Charles Mingus' best and most musically accessible alsbum. Recorded in 1959, it is soul stirring, great hard bebop with some fantastic sax playing by the great Booker Ervin. If you are into jazz, then this is an essential addition to your collection. I can never get tired of hearing this CD.

    5 out of 5 stars An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus.......2006-03-31

    This is the CD you should buy if you're new to Mingus. It came out during a highly creative period in his life, and contains some of his most memorable compostions. Ah Um may not be his most ambitious album or his best, but it is one of his most well rounded and diverse, showing many of the styles, quirks and facets that make Charles Mingus one of the top jazz composers of all time. And it's all laid out in easily digestable morsels, ie some of the songs were edited to make them more concise and able to fit on vinyl. Don't worry, the edits are not noticable. Is it bop? Is it post bop? Is it swing? Well, yes and no. Mingus looks not only to big bands, bebop, and hard bop circa 1959, but also gospel, spirituals, pre-jazz and the blues for inspiration. Ah Um is as diverse and eclectic as it is enjoyable. It points the way to the many directions Mingus was exploring or would explore in his later career. Ah Um is a wonderful look into the music of a great mind and is by turns angry, sad, tender, sarcastic, joyful and damn good. You can feel the passion.

    5 out of 5 stars How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus.......2006-03-17

    1 of 3-5 star lps- (see "Blues and Roots" and "Dynasty") issued by Mingus in 50's. All his own compositions, the song flow is unparalleled. No song can be called better than another, but, of course, we all favor some. Listen to his eloquent 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' Charlie's tribute to lester young. Check out 'Fables of Faubus; and think about.... CIVIL RIGHTS! Overwhelming opening funk/jazz piece "Better Git It In Your Soul" Mingus was certainly a master composer, creator, artist and a central link, between at most, 2 other great jazz composers. Buying this cd is a 'no brainer' for anyone of an age that knows what was, is and will be good for as long as we have ears. Companion cd is "Dynasty". The man who entitled his auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" still gets way too little respect.

    5 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece.......2006-01-20

    i always knew that Mingus was great...but it was not something that i could attest to through personal experience. i had seen the light that was Coltrane, Davis, Sun Ra, Dolphy...but Mingus' masterpieces somehow eluded me. probably due to the fact that i just simply did not take the time to check them out. well, i picked up Mingus Ah Um (finally)...and it all rang true. not only was this man an excellent bass player, but a true genius in composing. his music shines bright with a broad range of feeling and emotion. the righteous anger is present within the notes...anger that boiled hot over the shakey political/cultural climate of the times. but the music's fire is stoked by coals of passion and sincerity, jazz morphs into the blues and swings into melodies so alive and free that they can't be denied in their originality and greatness. i've been listening to this album only about 10 times and i'm still finding new things revealed to me with each spin. Mingus' vision grows deeper and more profound each time around. and there's so much more to explore and discover.
    Ah Um (Millennium Edition)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Ah Um (Millennium Edition)
      Charles Mingus
      Manufacturer: Msi Music
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | R&B | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B00004UIPH
      Release Date: 2002-08-22
      Mingus Ah Um
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • every once in awhile...
      • MINGUS' BEST
      • An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus
      • How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus
      • A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece
      Mingus Ah Um
      Charles Mingus
      Manufacturer: Msi Music
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Hard BopHard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
      JazzJazz | Imports | Stores | Music
      Similar Items:
      1. Time Out
      2. A Love Supreme
      3. Kind of Blue
      4. Somethin' Else
      5. Moanin'

      ASIN: B00002782A
      Release Date: 2002-08-22

      Tracks:

      1. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul
      2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
      3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
      4. Self-Portrait in Three Colors
      5. Open Letter to Duke
      6. Bird Calls
      7. Fables of Faubus
      8. Pussy Cat Dues
      9. Jelly Roll

      Amazon.com

      Mercurial bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus was signed to Columbia Records for the briefest of time during 1959. His Columbia recordings, however, remain some of the most inspired, mood-jumping jazz in history. The flowing sadness of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" (unedited here for the first time on CD!) rings like a funeral chorus that pitches headlong into a celebration of Lester Young's life and improvising flexibility, rather than his death. And there's the funky furnace blast of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (also unedited!), which reaches its glory with Booker Ervin's Texas tenor sax, wrapped tight in bluesy tone. With the index of emotions captured, these songs nail why Mingus is possibly the most relevant jazzer for the '90s generation. He swings and shouts and hollers and somersaults. His tunes either induce foot-stomping with their intensity or reach for poignant yearning with their lyrical tapestry of orchestral colors. --Andrew Bartlett

      Album Details

      Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars every once in awhile..........2007-03-08

      you get a breath of fresh air. its like opening the windows for the first time after a long winter. you've experienced the same thing maybe before but it just feels new.
      thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.

      5 out of 5 stars MINGUS' BEST.......2006-12-10

      This is Charles Mingus' best and most musically accessible alsbum. Recorded in 1959, it is soul stirring, great hard bebop with some fantastic sax playing by the great Booker Ervin. If you are into jazz, then this is an essential addition to your collection. I can never get tired of hearing this CD.

      5 out of 5 stars An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus.......2006-03-31

      This is the CD you should buy if you're new to Mingus. It came out during a highly creative period in his life, and contains some of his most memorable compostions. Ah Um may not be his most ambitious album or his best, but it is one of his most well rounded and diverse, showing many of the styles, quirks and facets that make Charles Mingus one of the top jazz composers of all time. And it's all laid out in easily digestable morsels, ie some of the songs were edited to make them more concise and able to fit on vinyl. Don't worry, the edits are not noticable. Is it bop? Is it post bop? Is it swing? Well, yes and no. Mingus looks not only to big bands, bebop, and hard bop circa 1959, but also gospel, spirituals, pre-jazz and the blues for inspiration. Ah Um is as diverse and eclectic as it is enjoyable. It points the way to the many directions Mingus was exploring or would explore in his later career. Ah Um is a wonderful look into the music of a great mind and is by turns angry, sad, tender, sarcastic, joyful and damn good. You can feel the passion.

      5 out of 5 stars How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus.......2006-03-17

      1 of 3-5 star lps- (see "Blues and Roots" and "Dynasty") issued by Mingus in 50's. All his own compositions, the song flow is unparalleled. No song can be called better than another, but, of course, we all favor some. Listen to his eloquent 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' Charlie's tribute to lester young. Check out 'Fables of Faubus; and think about.... CIVIL RIGHTS! Overwhelming opening funk/jazz piece "Better Git It In Your Soul" Mingus was certainly a master composer, creator, artist and a central link, between at most, 2 other great jazz composers. Buying this cd is a 'no brainer' for anyone of an age that knows what was, is and will be good for as long as we have ears. Companion cd is "Dynasty". The man who entitled his auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" still gets way too little respect.

      5 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece.......2006-01-20

      i always knew that Mingus was great...but it was not something that i could attest to through personal experience. i had seen the light that was Coltrane, Davis, Sun Ra, Dolphy...but Mingus' masterpieces somehow eluded me. probably due to the fact that i just simply did not take the time to check them out. well, i picked up Mingus Ah Um (finally)...and it all rang true. not only was this man an excellent bass player, but a true genius in composing. his music shines bright with a broad range of feeling and emotion. the righteous anger is present within the notes...anger that boiled hot over the shakey political/cultural climate of the times. but the music's fire is stoked by coals of passion and sincerity, jazz morphs into the blues and swings into melodies so alive and free that they can't be denied in their originality and greatness. i've been listening to this album only about 10 times and i'm still finding new things revealed to me with each spin. Mingus' vision grows deeper and more profound each time around. and there's so much more to explore and discover.
      Mingus Ah Um
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Mingus Ah Um
        Charles Mingus
        Manufacturer: Sony
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Hard BopHard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
        JazzJazz | Imports | Stores | Music
        ASIN: B0007SM93G
        Release Date: 2005-04-04

        Tracks:

        1. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul
        2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
        3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
        4. Self-Portrait in Three Colors
        5. Open Letter to Duke
        6. Bird Calls
        7. Fables of Faubus
        8. Pussy Cat Dues
        9. Jelly Roll

        Album Details

        Limited budget re-issue.
        Ah Um Millenium Edition
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Ah Um Millenium Edition
          Charles Mingus
          Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
          ASIN: B0002B6TN4
          Release Date: 2002-08-22
          Spirit of Mingus
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Spirit of Mingus
            Charles Mingus
            Manufacturer: Free Lance
            ProductGroup: Music
            Binding: Audio CD
            ASIN: B000RMPX62

            Product Description

            (1) PEGGY'S BLUE SKYLIGHT (2) SELF PORTRAIT IN THREE COLORS (3) NOSTALGIA IN TIMES SQUARE (4) I X LOVE (5) REINCARNATION OF A LOVEBIRD (6) PITHYCANTHROPUS ERECTUS (7) FREE CELL, BLOCK F (8) GOODBYE PORKPIE HAT (9) REMEMBER ROCKEFELLER AT ATTICA Steve Lacy's favorite duo partner, Mal Waldron, isn't present on this CD, which was recorded during a series of live concerts in Paris in 1991, but pianist Eric Watson is a more-than-capable foil for Lacy's adventurous excursions into the works of Charles Mingus. "Peggy's Blue Skylight," which oddly enough also opens Communique (a Lacy-Waldron CD recorded for Soul Note several years after this release), is bursting with energy. "Self Portrait in Three Colors" is a bittersweet ballad with Lacy's melancholy horn being supported by Watson's lush chords, while "Nostalgia in Times Square" (also known as "Strollin'") starts out as a jaunty yet complex blues before evolving into an intricate duo improvisation. Following Lacy's searing solo introduction, "Reincarnation of a Lovebird" represents Mingus at his most playful. "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," one of the composer's most recorded pieces and a brilliant elegy for Lester Young, is simply gorgeous. The very upbeat "Remember Rockefeller at Attica" (written by Mingus after the prison riot which resulted in great loss of life) has an almost mocking quality lampooning the ex-governor's actions. Since CDs on the Free Lance label seem to be getting much harder to locate, fans of Steve Lacy are advised to pick up this outstanding release quickly.
            Mingus Ah Um
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Mingus Ah Um
              Charles Mingus
              Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
              ProductGroup: Music
              Binding: Audio CD

              GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
              ASIN: B0002B6TQ6
              Release Date: 2002-08-22

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