The Complete Debut Recordings

Mingus's own early work is here in abundance, from early third-stream efforts involving John Lewis and Lee Konitz to the 1955 quintet recordings at the Café Bohemia. What's most astonishing here, though, isn't the cast of greats--such as J.J. Johnson and the Jones brothers Elvin, Thad, and Hank--but the number of largely forgotten musicians with whom Mingus worked. The members of the 1955 band--such as saxophonist George Barrow and trombonist Eddie Bert--weren't well known then or later, but Mingus is clearly pressing them to the point where his own brooding, tempestuous music is beginning to take shape. With its wealth of alternate takes, this is clearly a set for the serious collector, an intimate and detailed portrait of Mingus in an era of tremendous creative ferment. --Stuart Broomer