AMG Review of Charles Mingus [CM]

Stuart Kremsky
All Music Guide

Charles Mingus prepared an ambitious program of new material for the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival, but was unable to present it for one reason or another. Hence this set, recorded in mono and originally released on Mingus's own label. Extremely revealing in terms of how he worked out arrangements on stage (and berated his musicians in the process). The list of tunes doesn't show it, but there are numerous false starts and lectures to the group, and at one point he sends everyone except Richmond, McPherson and Hillyer backstage to rehearse while the remaining quartet plays "Ode to Bird and Dizzy." The package is valuable as an as historical document, and fascinating both for what it reveals about Mingus's working methods and about Mingus as a person (remember, he released this himself.)