Money Jungle

Producer Alan Douglas had helped Duke Ellington with errands when they were both working in Paris in the early 1960s. Later, after Douglas had joined United Artists and moved to New York, he received, according to his own account, a surprise visit from Ellington, who suggested recording a piano-based album (Ellington was known as a big band leader). Douglas suggested Charles Mingus as double bassist, who then insisted on having Max Roach as drummer.[2] Mingus had played with Ellington before, deputising for the regular bassist in the leader's orchestra in 1953, but was fired after four days, following a fight with another musician, Juan Tizol.[3]

At the time of the 1962 recording, Ellington was 63 years old, while Mingus was 40 and Roach 38.[2]^:33 The generational difference was strengthened by Ellington being a guiding figure for the other two,[4] who were born when Ellington was becoming an influence on music.[5] In 1962, Ellington did not have a recording contract, while Mingus was signed to United Artists.[6] According to Roach, the three musicians met the day before the recording, and Ellington told them to "Think of me as the poor man's Bud Powell" and that he would not like to play only his own material.[7]

The recording was made on Monday, September 17, 1962, at Sound Makers Studios in New York City, on 57th Street, between Sixth Avenue and Seventh.[2]^:34[8] The session was due to begin at 1 pm. Roach arrived at midday to set up his drums and found that Ellington was already there, writing out some material. Despite his suggestion the previous day, all of the compositions used were brought by Ellington.[7] For each piece, according to Roach, he and Mingus were given "a lead sheet that just gave the basic melody and harmony", plus a visual image described by the pianist: one example was, "crawling around on the streets are serpents who have their heads up; these are agents and people who have exploited artists. Play that along with the music".[7] The musicians had declined the chance to rehearse, so the recording, which was made on three-track tape, was of their first experience playing together.[2]

Money Jungle is a post-bop album.[9] The original LP contained seven tracks – six composed by Ellington, and one, "Caravan" by Juan Tizol, strongly associated with him. The title track is a 12-bar blues[4] that opens with strongly played notes from Mingus, then Ellington joins in with dissonant chords; Roach supports using ride cymbal, snare and bass drum.[2]^:36 In the final minute, Down Beat magazine observed, Mingus bends the "strings with such force that he makes the instrument sound like a cross between a berimbau and a Delta blues guitar".[2]^:38 "Fleurette Africaine" is a ballad developed from a simple melody stated on the piano,[4] and features "Mingus' floating bassline and Roach's understated drumming".[10] "Very Special" is another 12-bar blues, possibly improvised.[4] These three compositions, plus "Wig Wise", with its "angular, descending line",[10] were written specifically for this album.[10][11] On "Caravan", Ellington plays the melody in low octaves, adding "Webern-like notes on the top", imitating an orchestral sound.[2]^:37 "Warm Valley" and "Solitude" are ballads, the latter being a piano solo piece until Mingus and Roach enter in the final minute.[2][10]

The CD releases feature four more compositions: "Switch Blade", "Backward Country Boy Blues", "REM Blues", and "A Little Max (Parfait)". The last of these is a Latin-influenced track that features Roach.[2] "Switch Blade" is "a slow blues that showcases Mingus' virtuosity with a looseness that puts feeling before precision. [...He] intersperses his basslines with countermelodies and answers to what Duke plays."[12] According to drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, "Backward Country Boy Blues" was probably given its title because part of the usual blues construction is reversed – the V chord precedes the IV chord.[13]

There have been persistent rumors of clashes among the musicians during the session. Douglas' version is that Mingus complained about Roach's playing, then left the studio mid-session, taking his bass with him. Ellington caught up with Mingus on the street outside and persuaded him to return.[2] Ellington's account was slightly different – the reason for Mingus leaving was the same, but he was persuaded to return at the elevator.[3] Another version is that Mingus was upset because Ellington did not use any of Mingus' compositions for the recording.[12] Duke's son, Mercer Ellington, stated that the trio had a contract with United Artists for two albums, but they could not be persuaded to record together again.[3]^:335–6 Critic Thomas Cunniffe suggests that, listening to the tracks in the order in which they were recorded, "one can easily hear the tension building during the uptempo numbers", and that Mingus' temporary departure probably occurred after playing "Money Jungle", which "represents the apex of the group's inner tension, with Mingus plucking the strings with his fingernails, Roach firing up the music with polyrhythms and Ellington laying down highly dissonant chords".[6]

The original LP was released by United Artists Jazz in 1963 in mono and stereo versions.[1] United Artists was bought by EMI in 1979, and subsidiary Blue Note Records reissued the album on CD in 1987.[14] This contained more recordings from the same session: four previously unreleased works written for the session, plus two alternative takes. The order presented in this edition was that in which the tracks were recorded. The sound quality of the original recording was improved for the 2002 Blue Note CD release by engineer Ron McMaster, using the original tapes and 24-bit remastering,[11] adding clarity to the drums in particular.[15] For this release, the first seven tracks were arranged in their original order, with the other four pieces and four alternative takes placed afterward, increasing the number of tracks to 15.

All pieces composed by Duke Ellington, except where stated.

• Money Jungle at Discogs (list of releases)