Charles Mingus - 'Blues & Roots'

Simply put, Charles Mingus is one of the most important jazz composers & bassists in the history of jazz.

Despite his short life (he died aged 56) his career intersected some of the most important times in jazz history, spanning traditional jazz with Louis Armstrong and Bebop with Dizzy Gillespie through to the free jazz and Third Stream movements with which he was an integral part.

'Blues & Roots' came about after Atlantic records producer Nesuhi Ertegün suggested to Charles that he record an entire Blues album, since some critics had the opinion he wouldn’t swing enough and that Mingus was doing too intellectual, experimental music.

As Charles tells it:

“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.”

Charles recorded 'Blues & Roots' with his Jazz Workshop band with Booker Erwin on tenor saxophone, Jackie McLean on alto saxophone, John Handy on alto saxophone, Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Willie Dennis on trombone, Horace Parlan on piano, Mal Waldron on piano and Dannie Richmond on drums.

Today's freeload is a 24-Bit 176.4kHz vinyl rip of my pristine copy of the Analogue Production's two 12", 180g 45 rpm records, remastered release from 2023.

If you're a jazz fan, you more than likely have this album, but you probably don't have this version.  Delete the version you have, and replace it with this one. Seriously, this is the version you should have.

For the freeload, tell us what 45's you had, "back in the day".