Charles Mingus

The fleet group that Charles Mingus brought to the Antibes jazz
festival in 1960 was likely the most powerful group, pound-for-pound,
that the bassist ever led. The front line was comprised of trumpeter
Ted Curson, alto saxophonist Eric Dolphy, and, for this stint, tenor
saxophonist Booker Ervin. Without a piano for most of this Antibes

The first track says it all: "Better get it into Your Soul." This is soul-stirring, head-thumping, body-shaking stuff. Insistent, penetrating, simply inspired. Hard to compare it to anything, really, although it has elements of bebop, blues, gospel, and that crazy no-holds-barred spirit of funk. One of my top ten jazz cuts.

This release presents two of Charles Mingus’ most celebrated albums in their entirety: Pithecanthropus Erectus and The Clown. A ll but one of the songs included here were original compositions by Mingus. These sides feature first class soloist like Jackie McLean, Jimmy Knepper, J.R. Monterose and Mal Waldron.