Charles Mingus
Mingus In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts
Resonance Records
Mingus in Argentina presents a pair of concerts recorded on the bassist’s 1977 South American tour. Recorded at the Teatro Coliseo and the Teatro Sociedad Hebraica Argentina on June 2-3, 1977, the band he took with him was his working quintet. On his records of the late ’70s, Mingus opted for larger ensembles, leaving the touring band under-represented on record. The band on these recordings includes Mingus on bass with Ricky Ford (tenor saxophone), Jack Walrath (trumpet), Robert Neloms (piano), and Dannie Richmond (drums).
Disc 1 of the collection features the full concert from the Teatro Coliseo. The set includes classics like “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” and newer compositions like “Cumbia & Jazz Fusion.” The band is tight and precise on the older tunes but really lets loose on the newer compositions. “Cumbia & Jazz Fusion” begins with a Latin inspired groove before taking a detour to the folk tune “Shortnin’ Bread.” The ensemble and soloists really show their power on this one — and Mingus gets to sing/shout about shortnin’ bread.
The second disc contains an abbreviated version of the Teatro Sociedad Hebraica Argentina show. The side opens part-way through an extended workout of “Sue’s Changes.” It’s awkward, like getting back to your seat late from intermission. Robert Neloms is in the middle of a solo before Ricky Ford takes the lead, slowing the pace just a bit. Ford’s solo gets into the stratosphere with some pretty free blowing, before the whole band returns to the fast bop changes. Even in its truncated form, “Sue’s Changes” is an 18-minute epic that allows the whole ensemble to shine. The other standout track is a spirited version of “Fables of Faubus.” The second show appears to have been looser, with more room for the individual players to stretch out and strut their stuff.
Both concerts end with short, solo piano improvisation by Mingus. Adding to the historical value of these recordings is the fact that the shows took place only six months before Mingus was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), which claimed him on January 5, 1979.
