Blues & Roots
An all-blues album made at the suggestion of Atlantic's Nesuhi Ertegun.
Charles Mingus, 1960
- Released
- 1960
- Recorded
- 4 February 1959
- Studio
- Atlantic Studios, New York City
- Label
- Atlantic
- Producer
- Nesuhi Ertegun
Recorded on 4 February 1959 and released by Atlantic in 1960. In the liner notes Mingus said Nesuhi Ertegun asked for an entire blues album because some people, particularly critics, said he did not swing enough. He wrote that blues can do more than just swing. DownBeat gave it four stars in 1960 and called it vital and important music. The 1998 Rhino CD added alternate takes of four tracks.
Track listing
- Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting5:39
- Cryin' Blues4:58
- Moanin'8:01
- Tensions6:27
- My Jelly Roll Soul6:47
- E's Flat Ah's Flat Too6:37
Personnel
- Charles Mingus bass
- John Handy alto saxophone
- Jackie McLean alto saxophone
- Booker Ervin tenor saxophone
- Pepper Adams baritone saxophone
- Jimmy Knepper trombone
- Willie Dennis trombone
- Horace Parlan piano
- Mal Waldron piano on E's Flat Ah's Flat Too
- Dannie Richmond drums
- Nesuhi Ertegun producer
- Tom Dowd recording engineer
More from Charles Mingus
Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956), Mingus Ah Um (1959), Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1961), The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)
Sources
- Blues & Roots, Wikipedia
- The Clown (album), Wikipedia