Mingus Moves

Mingus Moves is a 1973 (see 1973 in music) album by jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus.

Mingus Moves
Studio album by
Charles Mingus
Released1973
RecordedOctober 29 – 31, 1973
GenreJazz
Length62:34
LabelAtlantic
ProducerNesuhi Ertegun
Charles Mingus chronology
Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert
(1972)		 Mingus Moves
(1973)		 Mingus at Carnegie Hall
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[2]

The music

Mingus Moves (Atlantic SD 1653) is one of the late works of jazz bassist, composer, and bandleader Charles Mingus. He hired three new musicians for the recording: Don Pullen, piano; Ronald Hampton, trumpet; and George Adams, tenor saxophone. Drummer Dannie Richmond, a stalwart of Mingus's bands in the 1950s and '60s, rejoined the band on the first day of recording after not working with the bassist for several years.

The album, although not generally regarded as one of Mingus's best, does feature three remarkable compositions: "Canon," " Opus 3," and "Opus 4." "Canon" is a theme, as the title suggests, that can be superimposed upon itself. The song has a spiritual character, a la Coltrane, and is played with a warm sound by Pullen and Adams. This tune was also released on Hal Willner's tribute CD: Weird Nightmare - Meditations on Mingus. "Opus 3" is based on the Mingus's 1957 composition "Pithecanthropus Erectus," in which certain sections are played without key or meter restrictions. "Opus 4" is a straight-ahead swinger that features Don Pullen playing a free solo part.

The other tunes include "Moves," a composition written and sung (along with Honi Gordon) by Doug Hammond, Richmond's predecessor; "Wee," composed and arranged by Sy Johnson, who also worked with Mingus on Let My Children Hear Music (1971) and Mingus and Friends in Concert (1972); "Flowers," written by Adams; and "Newcomer" by Pullen, dedicated to his newborn daughter.

The CD released in 1993 contains the bonus tracks "Big Alice" and "The Call," which were recorded during the same sessions.

Track listing

(All compositions by Mingus except where noted.)

  • "Canon" – 5:28
  • "Opus 4" – 6:39
  • "Moves" (Doug Hammond) – 3:43
  • "Wee" (Sy Johnson) – 8:57
  • "Flowers for a Lady" (George Adams)– 6:44
  • "Newcomer" (Don Pullen) – 7:13
  • "Opus 3" – 10:26
  • "Big Alice" (Don Pullen) – 5:44 (bonus track)
  • "The Call" – 7:13 (Ronald Hampton) Later Credited

Personnel
  • Nat Hentoff: Liner Notes for Mingus Moves (Atlantic)
  • Paula Edelstein in allaboutjazz
  • Andrew Homzy, in: Charles Mingus, More Than a Fake Book. Hal Leonard Corporation 1991 ISBN 0-7935-0900-9

References
  1. Yanow, Scott (2011). "Mingus Moves - Charles Mingus | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 141. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
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