Testing bossa conventions, encouraged by ACJ’s move to Creed Taylor’s ambitious set-up, abetted by Deodato’s brilliant arrangements. From 1970, with Airto and Ron Carter; and some lovely electric piano.

‘Classic Vinyl Series.’

His third Blue Note as leader, in 1964, with Kenny Dorham, McCoy Tyner, Richard Davis and Elvin Jones. Rhythmically rooted in Trane, unsurprisingly, but Dorham and especially Henderson go their own searching, purposeful ways. The first three are his own compositions. Ace.

Water in particular is stunning, with JH chasing the devil across the Sahara like an elemental fury, flashing dubwise effects; alongside the magnificent, dread droning and piping of Alice Coltrane , r-r-r-rough Charlie Haden, and Michael White on tablas and percussion.
Totally killer, no-holds-barred… proper World Music… a must.

Our Thing, In ‘N Out, Inner Urge, The State Of The Tenor Volumes 1 & 2.

Thrillingly uncontainable, uproarious, wildly creative music, teeming with passion, protest, sex, orality, dread, blues, and the gospel truth. With Roland Kirk newly enrolled, Mingus passes his bass to Watkins… and it all kicks off. We can’t recommend this record strongly enough. It will do you good.

‘I am trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is because I’m changing all the time.’ From 1957, hard on the heels of Pithecanthropus Erectus — hotter fire, and another masterpiece, featuring killer soloing from CM. On Haitian Fight Song: ‘I can’t play it right unless I’m thinking about prejudice and persecution, and how unfair is it. There’s sadness and cries in it, but also determination. And it usually ends with my feeling ‘I told them! I hope somebody heard me!’’ Reincarnation Of A Lovebird is here, too.

A masterpiece from the same few months in 1963 as The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady, adding a couple more players to its killer lineup of Booker Ervin, Jaki Byard, Charlie Mariano and co. A kind of testimonial match by the eleven-piece, doing over some of Mingus’ best tunes so far: he didn’t take a group back into the studio till 1970.

LP from Speakers Corner.

From 1960; ostensibly before Mingus heard Charlie Parker.
A host of stellar players — including Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Max Roach, Marcus Belgrave, Slide Hampton, Yusef Lateef — in variously large ensembles, reading mostly tight, post-Duke scores.
Kicks off startlingly with a mash-up of Take the A Train, in the left channel, and Exactly Like You in the right. ( On the flip, Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me is likewise bundled with I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart.)
The great Mingus art songs Eclipse — hymning black-white relationships — and Weird Nightmare are here. Apparently vocalist Lorraine Cusson fluffed the last line of Nightmare — singing ‘Bring me a heart with a love of gold’ instead of ‘Bring me a love with a heart of gold’ — but Mingus was so happy with the take, he let it go.