Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um (UHQCD)

Charles Mingus had already released twelve albums when “Mingus Ah Um” came out on Columbia Records on September 14, 1959 -a significant date, as Mingus’s first album for a major label was not only destined to be a truly great one but also to go down in music history as one of the most significant and influential jazz albums. Alongside “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady,” “Mingus Ah Um” is considered the bassist and composer’s finest work. Shortly after its release, Leonard Feather of Down Beat magazine gave the album the highest rating: “Mingus has something to say; he knows how and through whom to say it, and everything is delivered with communicative skill.” In 2003, “Mingus Ah Um” was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, and in 2012, into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2020, it ranked No. 380 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The German edition of Rolling Stone ranked the album No. 3 on its list of the 100 greatest jazz albums in 2013. Jazzwise magazine ranks “Mingus Ah Um” at number 7 on its list of the “100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World.” It ranks 303rd on the New Musical Express’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

“Mingus Ah Um” was recorded in just two days – on May 5 and 12, 1959, at CBS’s 30th Street Studio in New York City – with an unusual lineup featuring three saxophones, two trombones, and a rhythm section consisting of bass, drums, and piano. The music is characterized by its powerful energy, complex harmonies, and melodic depth. Some of the compositions on this album address social and political themes, particularly regarding racism and civil rights. It presents a diverse mix of different jazz styles, including hard bop, bebop, and avant-garde jazz. Mingus, considered one of the most innovative composers, showcases his unique musical vision on the album. Many tracks on the album, produced by Teo Macero, later became standards. These include the opening track “Better Git It In Your Soul,” “Fables Of Faubus,” and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” a tribute to Lester Young, who had passed away shortly before.

UHQCD stands for Ultimate High Quality Compact Disc and is a joint development of the Japanese CD replication company Memory-Tech and the Audio Quality CD Company from Hong Kong. Unlike conventional CDs, UHQCDs are not pressed from polycarbonate, but cast from a photopolymer and cured with UV light. Another layer of high-purity polycarbonate is applied to the softer photopolymer for scratch protection. The combination results in significantly reduced reflection of laser light inside the CD and an unmatched precise edge transition between pits and lands of the CD. UHQCDs are 100% compatible with standard CD players. Musically, the result is a sound image strongly reminiscent of analog master tapes.

Lista pieselor

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