Mingus Ah Um

Mingus Ah Um is a studio album by American jazz mu- 2 Reception

sician Charles Mingus, released in 1959 by Columbia
Records. It was his rst album recorded for Columbia. Mingus Ah Um was one of fty recordings chosen by the
The cover features a painting by S. Neil Fujita.[3] Library of Congress to be added to the National Record-
ing Registry in 2003. It is widely regarded as one of the
greatest jazz albums.

3 50th Anniversary reissue

1 Composition In 2009, Sonys Legacy Recordings released a special 2-
disc 50th Anniversary Edition of Mingus Ah Um. In addi-
tion to the complete album, the Legacy Edition includes
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD calls this album an an alternative take of each of three tracks: Bird Calls
extended tribute to ancestors (and awards it one of (4:54), Better Git It In Your Soul (8:30), and Jelly
their rare crowns), and Minguss musical forebears g- Roll (6:41). The Legacy Edition of Mingus Ah Um also
ure largely throughout. Better Git It In Your Soul is includes Mingus Dynasty, its companion album recorded
inspired by gospel singing and preaching of the sort that later in 1959 (with unedited versions of ve tracks short-
Mingus would have heard as a child growing up in Watts, ened on the original LP release).[8][9]
Los Angeles, California, while "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"
is a reference (by way of his favored headgear) to sax-
ophonist Lester Young (who had died shortly before the 4 Track listing
album was recorded). The origin and nature of Boogie
Stop Shue is self-explanatory: a twelve-bar blues with
All songs composed by Charles Mingus, except 12, com-
four themes and a boogie bass backing that passes from
posed by Sonny Clapp. Original LP song lengths are
stop time to shue and back.
given within parentheses.
Self-Portrait in Three Colors was originally written for
John Cassavetes' rst lm as director, Shadows, but was 1. Better Git It in Your Soul 7:23
never used (for budgetary reasons). Open Letter to
Duke is a tribute to Duke Ellington, and draws on three 2. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" 5:44 (4:46)
of Minguss earlier pieces (Nouroog, Dukes Choice,
and Slippers). Jelly Roll is a reference to jazz pio- 3. Boogie Stop Shue 5:02 (3:41)
neer and pianist Jelly Roll Morton and features a quote 4. Self-Portrait in Three Colors 3:10
of Sonny Rollins' Sonnymoon for Two during Horace
Parlan's piano solo. Bird Calls, in Minguss own words, 5. Open Letter to Duke 5:51 (4:56)
was not a reference to bebop saxophonist Charlie Bird
Parker: It wasn't supposed to sound like Charlie Parker. 6. Bird Calls 6:17 (3:12)
It was supposed to sound like birds the rst part. 7. "Fables of Faubus" 8:13
"Fables of Faubus" is named after Orval E. Faubus
8. Pussy Cat Dues 9:14 (6:27)
(19101994), the Governor of Arkansas infamous for his
1957 stand against integration of Little Rock, Arkansas 9. Jelly Roll 6:17 (4:01)
schools in deance of U.S. Supreme Court rulings (forc-
ing President Eisenhower to send in the National Guard).
Bonus tracks on later reissues
It is sometimes claimed that Columbia refused to allow
the lyrics to be included on this album, though the liner
notes to the 1998 reissue of the album state that the piece 1. Pedal Point Blues 6:30
started life as an instrumental, and only gained the lyrics 2. "GG Train" 4:39
later (as can be heard on the 1960 release Presents Charles
Mingus.) 3. Girl of My Dreams 4:08

1
2 7 EXTERNAL LINKS

Notes [8] Charles Mingus. Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 December

When Columbia rst issued the album in 1959, six
of the albums nine songs (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and
9) were edited in order to t them on the LP; cer-
tain songs were shortened by several minutes. These
six tracks were rst restored in 1979 and three other
recordings were discovered. Later reissues contain
both the full-length versions of the original nine
tracks and the three new tracks.
Tracks 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 recorded on May 5, 1959;
tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 11 and 12 recorded on May 12,
1959. All tracks recorded at Columbia 30th Street
Studio, New York City.
2014.
[9] Stuart Broomer. Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um: 50th
Anniversary Legacy Edition. All About Jazz. Retrieved
19 December 2014.
[10] Mingus Ah Um. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
Priestley, Brian. Sleeve notes to 1998 reissue of
Mingus Ah Um (Columbia CK 65512)
7 External links
Mingus Ah Um at Discogs (list of releases)

5 Personnel
John Handy alto sax (1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12), clarinet
(8), tenor sax (2)[10]
Booker Ervin tenor sax
Sha Hadi tenor sax (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10), alto sax (1,
5, 6, 9, 12)
Willie Dennis trombone (3, 4, 5, 12)
Jimmy Knepper trombone (1, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Horace Parlan piano
Charles Mingus bass, piano (with Parlan on track
10)
Dannie Richmond drums

6 References
[1] 50th Anniversary edition booklet

[2] Mingus Ah Um and Mingus Dynasty are considered his

best post-bop. The Absolute Sound (134): 55. February
March 2002.

[3] Waxing Chromatic: An Interview with S. Neil Fujita.

AIGA. 2007-09-18. Retrieved 2012-03-01.

[4] Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus - Songs, Reviews,

Credits, Awards - AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved 19 De-
cember 2014.

[5] Charles Mingus. PopMatters. Retrieved 19 December

2014.

[6] Jacob Teichroew. Mingus Ah Um Jazz Music Album -

Charles Mingus Ah Um Review. About. Retrieved 19
December 2014.

[7] Wolfgang Doebeling (29 October 2008). Charles Min-

gus - Mingus Ah Um. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 De-
cember 2014.
 3

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