This album is mostly a composite of Pithecanthropus Erectus and Mingus at the Bohemia, two sessions recorded about a month apart in 1955-56 by the Charles Mingus Quintet. Disappointingly, though still great, 'Love Chant' is an alternate take (at half the length) than the superior version on the original Pithecanthropus Erectus.
Charles MINGUS - Pithecanthropus Erectus 1956
From the 'Pithecanthropus Erectus' LP 1956. Charles Mingus – bass. Jackie McLean – alto saxophone. J. Monterose – tenor saxophone. Mal Waldron – piano. The Biodiversity Heritage Library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community. Pithecanthropus Erectus Charles Mingus Jazz 1956 Preview SONG TIME Pithecanthropus Erectus. 10:37 PREVIEW A Foggy Day. 7:50 PREVIEW Profile of Jackie. 5.0 out of 5 stars Pithecanthropus Erectus, Charles Mingus - Stands head and shoulders above the rest. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2009. Verified Purchase. Double bass player. All round freeform jazz guru. Famous for pushing the boundaries of experimental jazz and encouraging others to.
JazzOne of the great figures in modern jazz, bassist Charles Mingus was the ultimate triple threat: a master of his instrument, a jazz composer of the first rank, and an insightful leader of a series of extraordinary and incendiary bands. Raised in Los Angeles, Mingus was a devotee of Duke Ellington, whose compositional style had an unsurpassed effect on the young composer. As a player, however, Mingus was drawn to his contemporaries, who included Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, and Max Roach (indeed, Roach and Mingus co-owned their own Debut Records during the '50s). Perhaps his greatest contribution was bridging the gap between those two generations: in Mingus's music, one could always explicitly hear the continuity between the big bands and the bebop era, the affinity between the romantic and the modern. Although he had recorded extensively for numerous labels including his own Debut Records, Mingus's relationship with Atlantic would yield many of his greatest recordings. Cut in 1956, Pithecanthropus Erectus was his first date for the label, and it provided something of a breakthrough for Mingus in his use of extended compositions: the 10-minute title track, and the lovely 'Profile of Jackie,' are among the bassist's finest recordings. The band is notable for the inclusion of the under-recorded tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose.
By Fred Goodman.
**
This is a showcase for Mingus the bassist as well as Mingus the composer. His sound is recorded extremely well, and his technique, sense of rhythm, and improvisation are just astonishing. I've never heard his bass so well before.
He begins the title cut with a 4-bar motif that's almost as compelling as 'A Love Supreme.' He works this motif with virtuosity, and he is especially effective in his interplay with the pianist, Max Waldron. While some may see this as a harbinger to free jazz, it's really quite accessible, and the 'wild' sounds return logically to the theme. Emotionally gratifying; it's one of his best works.
The big disappointment here is 'A Foggy Day (in San Francisco).' Mingus places various urban sound effects, which 'The Penguin Guide to Jazz' calls superficially jokey.' To me, it's just simply annoying. The repeated taxi horn sounds, etc. are just done too often. Were it not for the overall quality of the other music, I'd take away a * from this CD. Foggy Day does feature some nice sax work (Jackie McLean, J.R. Monterose), swinging bass, and some whistle blowing a la 70's and 80's funk. (Was Parliament listening?).
'Profile of Jackie' is a brief (3:07) mood piece, McLean nicely interpolates 'Chelsea Bridge' and his playing is soulful and sharp. It's a beautiful ballad with nice comping by Mingus, and Willie Jones' deft touch on drums.
Love Chant is the longest piece here (14:56) and, I think, is overlooked in the Mingus discography. There's some very progressive bass work propelling an initially slightly cool jazz/modal sound. The first third features interesting percussive effects, effective abstractions on the piano, and mellow tones on the horns. After this, the beat picks up (sometimes veering into some hard bop accents), and the horns soar above Mingus' beautiful playing. Once again, the Mingus/Waldron improvisations are excellent.
Again, this is an excellent CD, even with the somewhat overdone 'Foggy Day.' Not sure what they did, but it has an almost live sound to it that I loved. Brief liner notes by Nat Hentoff, and more extended notes on each cut by Mingus enhance one's appreciation of each track. Very highly recommended!
By M. Allen Greenbaum.
**
Charles Mingus- Acoustic Bass,
Willie Jones- Drums,
Also:
Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, J.R. Monterose.
Charles Mingus Biography
**
01. Pithecanthropus Erectus (Mingus) 10:36
02. A Foggy Day (Gershwin, Gershwin) 7:50
03. Profile of Jackie (Mingus) 3:11
04. Love Chant (Mingus) 14:59
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*~Release by Charles Mingus(see all versions of this release, 15 available)
Annotation
Notes
An absolutely remarquable Mingus album, this is the one that made him widely recognised, and his first for Atlantic.
Absolute buy, either in this form, or as part of the Passions of a Man Complete Atlantic box set.
Sessions Details
Recording Date: 1956/01/30
Location: Audio-Video Studios, New York City, USA
Additional:
Another track was recorded and rejected ('What Is This Thing Called Love?')
Matrix numbers as follow:
#1865 (A) Pithecanthropus Erectus
#1866 (A) A Foggy Day
#1867 (A) What Is This Thing Called Love? (lost)
#1868 (A) Love Chant
#1869 (A) Profile Of Jackie
Release History
There is two cover art: the original painting (a), and the US Mingus photo (b)
ASIN and details go as:
1987-07-07 Tue United States Atlantic 8809 075678145629 CD (b) (B000002I7U)
1991-02-25 Mon Japan Atlantic AMCY-1036 4988029103642 CD (a)
1996-05-20 Mon Europe Atlantic 79974 081227535728 CD (a) (B00000IH8W)
2002-09-23 Mon United Kingdom Atlantic - 0081227361624 CD (a) (B00006H679)
2005-12-07 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674059614 CD (a) (B000BDJ1Z6)
2007-01-24 Wed Japan Atlantic 648308 4943674068159 CD (a) (B000KHXFWS)
2008-02-20 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674077144 CD (a) (B0010OH7SS)
2009-05-27 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674089307 CD (a) (B001TZIKXY)
Tunes History
Pithecanthropus Erectus will only be played once after that, in 1970 during the America sessions. It has seen been covered by Hal Willner, and Paul Motian.
A Foggy Day (a Gershwin classic) had previously been played by Mingus with Hazel Scott (1955) and Max Roach (at the Bohemia, two takes, 1955) and will never be played again by him. All three renditions are on the Debut Complete set.
Profile of Jackie has been played only once, and has not been covered.
Love Chant was played twice before (again at the Bohemia), and never after. Herbie Mann, and Andrew Hill covered it.
Tracklist
| ▼ 12' Vinyl 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Title | Rating | Length |
| A1 | Pithecanthropus Erectus
| 10:35 | |
| A2 | A Foggy Day
| 7:48 | |
| B1 | Profile of Jackie
| 3:10 | |
| B2 | Love Chant
| 14:54 | |
Credits
12' Vinyl 1
| drums (drum set): | Willie Jones(jazz drummer, not Willie Jones III) (1956-01-30) (tracks A1–B2) |
|---|---|
| double bass: | |
| double bass arranger: | Charles Mingus (track B1) |
| alto saxophone: | Jackie McLean(jazz saxophonist) (1956-01-30) (tracks A1–B2) |
| piano: | |
| tenor saxophone: | J. R. Monterose (1956-01-30) (tracks A1–A2, B2) |
| composer: | George Gershwin(composer) (1937) (track A2) |
| lyricist: | |
| publisher: | Chappell & Co., Inc. (track A2) Gershwin Publishing Corp (track A2) WB Music Corp.(ASCAP) (track A2) |
| recorded at: | Audio-Video Studios(NYC) in New York, New York, United States (1956-01-30) (tracks A1–B2) |
| later releases: | Pithecanthropus Erectus by Charles Mingus (track A1) Pithecanthropus Erectus by Charles Mingus (track A1) |
| instrumental cover recording of: | A Foggy Day (in London Town) (1956-01-30) (track A2) |
| is the basis for: | |
| later translated versions: | A Newö heit (track A2) Um dia de garoa (track A2) |
| part of: | |
| recording of: | Love Chant (1956-01-30) (track B2) Profile of Jackie (1956-01-30) (track B1) |
| referred to in medleys: | A Foggy Day / Nice Work If You Can Get It (track A2) |
Release
| engineer: | Tom Dowd Hal Lustig |
|---|---|
| producer: | Nesuhi Ertegun |
| remastered versions: | Mingus Ah Um |
|---|
| Discogs: | https://www.discogs.com/release/732591[info] |
|---|
Release Group
Charles Mingus Autobiography
| included in: | Eight Classic Albums Original Album Series(Charles Mingus) |
|---|
Dave Brubeck
| Wikipedia: | en: Pithecanthropus Erectus (album)[info] |
|---|---|
| Discogs: | https://www.discogs.com/master/176929[info] |
| other databases: | https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the_charlie_mingus_jazz_workshop/pithecanthropus_erectus/[info] |
| Allmusic: | https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000605928[info] |
| Wikidata: | Q1503712[info] |