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Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Studio album by Charles Mingus
Released	January 9, 1964 (1964-01-09)
Recorded	January 20 & September 20, 1963 New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:30
Label	Impulse! A-54
Producer	Bob Thiele
Charles Mingus chronology
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963) Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1964) Tonight at Noon (1964)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is a studio album by the American jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus that was released on January 9, 1964.

Background

Mingus collaborated with arranger/orchestrator Bob Hammer to score the music for a large ensemble of brass and saxophones.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Charles Mingus, except where noted.

1. "II B.S." – 4:48
2. "I X Love" – 7:41
3. "Celia" – 6:14
4. "Mood Indigo" (Duke Ellington/Barney Bigard) – 4:45
5. "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" – 6:30
6. "Theme for Lester Young" – 5:51
7. "Hora Decubitus" – 4:41
8. "Freedom" – 5:10 Bonus track on CD reissue

Some editions of this album, such as Impulse Records AS-54-B, exclude the track "Freedom."

Historical context

Most of the compositions on this album had been previously recorded or have since been rerecorded, some under different titles, on other albums.

• "II B.S." as "Haitian Fight Song" on Plus Max Roach and The Clown
• "I X Love" as "Duke's Choice" on A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry.
• "Mood Indigo" (Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington) on Mingus Dynasty
• "Celia" on East Coasting
• "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" as "Better Git It in Your Soul" on Mingus Ah Um (also "Better Git Hit in Your Soul" on Mingus at Antibes)
• "Theme for Lester Young" as "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on Mingus Ah Um
• "Hora Decubitus" as "E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too" on Blues & Roots
• "Freedom" on The Complete Town Hall Concert (1962)

Personnel

Tracks #1 and 4–8, recorded on September 20, 1963:

• Eddie Preston – Trumpet
• Richard Williams – Trumpet
• Britt Woodman – Trombone
• Don Butterfield – Tuba
• Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute
• Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, clarinet, flute
• Booker Ervin – Tenor sax
• Eric Dolphy – Alto sax, flute, bass clarinet
• Jaki Byard – Piano
• Charles Mingus – Bass, (narration, #8)
• Walter Perkins – Drums
• Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Tracks #2 and 3, recorded on January 20, 1963:

• Rolf Ericson – Trumpet
• Richard Williams – Trumpet
• Quentin Jackson – Trombone
• Don Butterfield – Tuba
• Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute
• Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, flute, oboe
• Charlie Mariano – Alto sax
• Jaki Byard – Piano
• Jay Berliner – Guitar
• Charles Mingus – Bass, piano
• Dannie Richmond – Drums
• Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Production

• Bob Thiele – Producer
• Michael Cuscuna – Reissue Producer
• Bob Simpson – Engineer
• Erick Labson – Remastering

Freedom

Freedom, by Charles Mingus (excerpt)

This mule ain't from Moscow,

this mule ain't from the South.

But this mule's had some learning,

mostly mouth-to-mouth.

The lyrics, "This mule ain't from Moscow", might be a reference to a Moscow mule, a drink made of vodka and ginger beer popular in the 1950s, but is likely also referring to African-American slaves as the "mule".

Mingus performed a number of other songs with spoken poetry or narration:

• "Scenes in the City"
• "The Chill of Death"
• "The Clown"
• "Weary Blues" (read by Langston Hughes)
• "Don't Let It Happen Here"
• "It Was A Lonely Day In Selma, Alabama"
• "Where Does A Man Go To Find Peace?"

Several of his other pieces have lyrics:

• "Fables of Faubus"
• "Oh Lord, Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me"
• "Devil Woman"

References

1. ^ Editorial Staff, Cash Box (January 18, 1964). "ABC-Pars 33 New Albums Is a Record-setting Issue" (PDF). Cash Box. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. p. 9. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
2. AllMusic review
3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 140. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
4. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1004. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
5. Santoro, Gene (2000). Myself when I Am Real. New York: Oxford University Press US. p. 413. ISBN 0-19-514711-1.
6. Mathieson, Kenny (1999). Giant Steps. Canongate US. p. 217. ISBN 0-86241-859-3.
7. Conversely, Nat Hentoff identifies "Nouroog" as the precursor to "I X Love". Hentoff, Nat (1963). Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Impulse! Records. pp. 2–10. IMPD-170.

• 1964 albums
• Charles Mingus albums
• Impulse! Records albums
• Albums produced by Bob Thiele