Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus

Track listing

All tracks composed by Charles Mingus, except where noted.

1. "II B.S." – 4:48
2. "I X Love" – 7:41
3. "Celia" – 6:14
4. "Mood Indigo" (Duke Ellington/Barney Bigard) – 4:45
5. "Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" – 6:30
6. "Theme for Lester Young" – 5:51
7. "Hora Decubitus" – 4:41
8. "Freedom" – 5:10 Bonus track on CD reissue

Some editions of this album such as AS-54-B on Impulse Records contains an alternate track listing, which excludes the track "Freedom".

Historical context

Many of the compositions on this album had been previously recorded or have since been rerecorded, some under different titles, on other albums.

"Theme for Lester Young" as "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on Mingus Ah Um

"II B.S." as "Haitian Fight Song" on Plus Max Roach and The Clown

"Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul" as "Better Git It in Your Soul" on Mingus Ah Um (also "Better Git Hit in Your Soul" on Mingus at Antibes)

"Hora Decubitus" as "E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too" on Blues & Roots

"Celia" on East Coasting

"I X Love" as "Duke's Choice" on A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry.

Personnel

Tracks #1 and 4-8, recorded on September 20, 1963:

Eddie Preston - Trumpet

Richard Williams - Trumpet

Britt Woodman - Trombone

Don Butterfield - Tuba

Jerome Richardson - Soprano, baritone saxes, flute

Dick Hafer - Tenor sax, clarinet, flute

Booker Ervin - Tenor sax

Eric Dolphy - Alto sax, flute, bass clarinet

Jaki Byard - Piano

Charles Mingus - Bass, (narration, #8)

Walter Perkins - Drums

Bob Hammer - Arranger and orchestrator

Tracks #2 and 3, recorded on January 20, 1963:

Rolf Ericson - Trumpet

Richard Williams - Trumpet

Quentin Jackson - Trombone

Don Butterfield - Tuba

Jerome Richardson - Soprano, baritone saxes, flute

Dick Hafer - Tenor sax, flute, oboe

Charlie Mariano - Alto sax

Jaki Byard - Piano

Jay Berliner - Guitar

Charles Mingus - Bass, piano

Dannie Richmond - Drums

Bob Hammer - Arranger and orchestrator

Production

Bob Thiele - Producer

Michael Cuscuna - Reissue Producer

Bob Simpson - Engineer

Erick Labson - Remastering

Freedom

Freedom, by Charles Mingus (excerpt)

This mule ain't from Moscow, this mule ain't from the South. But this mule's had some learning, mostly mouth-to-mouth.

The lyrics, "This mule ain't from Moscow", might be a reference to a Moscow Mule, a drink made of vodka and ginger beer popular in the 1950s, but is likely also referring to African-American slaves as the "mule".

Mingus performed a number of other songs with spoken poetry or narration:

"Scenes in the City"

"The Chill of Death"

"The Clown"

"Weary Blues" (read by Langston Hughes)

"Don't Let It Happen Here"

"It Was A Lonely Day In Selma, Alabama"

"Where Does A Man Go To Find Peace?"

Several of his other pieces have lyrics:

"Fables of Faubus"

"Oh Lord, Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me"

"Devil Woman"