Blues and Roots

Updated on Sep 23, 2024

Edit

Comment

Released March/April 1960 Blues & Roots(1960) Pre-Bird(1960) Release date 4 April 1960 Label Atlantic Records		Length 38:49 Artist Charles Mingus Producer Nesuhi Ertegun

Recorded 4 February 1959, Atlantic Studios, New York City Genres Post-bop, Avant-garde jazz Similar Charles Mingus albums, Avant-garde jazz albums, Other albums

Blues & Roots is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded in 1959 and released in 1960. It has been reissued twice as a CD, first by Atlantic Records, and then again by Rhino Entertainment in 1998.

Mingus explained the birth of this record in the album's liner notes:

This record is unusual—it presents only one part of my musical world, the blues. A year ago, Nesuhi Ertegün suggested that I record an entire blues album in the style of Haitian Fight Song (in Atlantic LP 1260), because some people, particularly critics, were saying I didn't swing enough. He wanted to give them a barrage of soul music: churchy, blues, swinging, earthy. I thought it over. I was born swinging and clapped my hands in church as a little boy, but I've grown up and I like to do things other than just swing. But blues can do more than just swing. So I agreed.

Reception

Q magazine (7/93, p. 110) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...at his best he could drive his fellow musicians onwards and upwards with big bass playing and hoarse exhortations. Blues & Roots contains six servings of this brilliance..."

Down Beat (1960) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "...vital and important music...[Mingus] is outstanding in his solo work...this is something worth careful and thorough listening..."