Login
So far this is my favorite Mingus CD and for a number of reasons. I'm very picky when it comes to Avant-Garde and this release does it for me and is a perfect example I show off if someone asks where to start for Avant-Garde, besides mentioning Coltrane. It's Bop jazz and the free parts sneak in sometimes so it doesn't get to boring. The title track, Pithecanthropus Erectus, takes you on a journey through the age of man and much like the next track it tells a story. A Foggy Day is just perfect. When I got this CD I played in my friends stereo in his car and we almost crashed for one simple reason. In the track the Saxophone players are acting as traffic with high pitched 'car-horn' sounds, like a foggy day in San Francisco, and my friend kept thinking people were honking at him. Good times and truely makes this release special just for that alone! The CD finishes off with a great melody and a long Love Chant that's just as good as the opener.
Here is some extra info:
Bass - Charles Mingus
Drums - Willie Jones
Piano - Mal Waldron
Saxophone [Alto] - Jackie McLean
Saxophone [Tenor] - J.R. Monterose
Recorded on January 30, 1956, at Audio-Video Studios, New York, N.Y.
