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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
1963
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!I can’t claim to know much about jazz at all. Especially not avant-garde, experimental jazz like this. But I loved this album so much. It’s an album where you just give yourself over to the way the music feels. It teases you with a reprise that you think you’re familiar with, then beats you round the head with a horn section for getting too comfortable. It has moments of delicacy and beauty, and of utter stormy cacophonous noise. Putting aside the stories about Mingus (aggressive, violent bugger, essentially) it feels like these people are all playing for their lives. Quite a thing to behold
A wonderful artistic expression. It takes you away from any thought or emotion and shows you whatever you need to feel within that small musically accompanied moment. It's absolutely incredible
This is like as archetypal as experimental jazz gets. Wildly changing time signatures, multiple keys soloing at the same time, crazy studio editing tricks to make it sound even more cacophonous (that flamenco guitar section though). This is one of those records that sounds like it could soundtrack On The Road or something. One of Mingus’ best. Favorite Track: Track-C Group Dancers “(Soul Fusion) Freewoman and Oh, This Freedom's Slave Cries” Least Favorite Track: Track-A Solo Dancers "Stop! Look! And Listen, Sinner Jim Whitney!" (If I had to pick one)
A great expression of free jazz, the emotion and passion that Mingus gets into his albums is almost unrivaled to me.
Personally, this is a top 3 jazz album OF ALL TIME. It's dark, unsettling, both fitting of the past and the future. Mingus had been no stranger to aggressive or dark music prior, but goddamn this record takes it to a new level. Required listening for any self-proclaimed fan of jazz. Cannot praise enough.
I really loved this. It had elements of minimalism, with long sustained ostinatos, almost droning. The tempo and meter shifts were surprising. For a jazz album, there weren't as many solos as I would expect, but they were interesting.
For me, this is the absolute pinnacle of Third Stream, and Mingus’s greatest masterwork.
Very cool and very interesting organized chaos. I’m relatively familiar with other works by the angry man of jazz, but I had never actually heard this album before. The mixing and organization behind every piece on the album (especially from a pre-stereo view when the album was made) is incredible and shows that deep thought was given to the somewhat avat garde compositions. Also, the shear amount of different instruments on this album is also impressive-it feels like I’m hearing a different horn or woodwind every second-with the Piano always acting as a sort of anchor. And then a guitar shows up out of nowhere! What the fuck! Side 2 of the record (song 4) is easily the blending off all things good and unique. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you like big band, jazz, or classical music I’d def give this one a listen.
It's been a while since I binge-listened to most of the Mingus discography. I'd forgotten just how good this masterpiece is. It takes the legacies of blues and swing, distils it into wild avant-garde big band jazz, and triple-filters the liquor through classical, folk dance and Spanish guitar. It's a mind-melting achievement, which sounds incredibly fresh and urgent and unique, even after decades of being a widely celebrated record. I love how the ferocious energy bubbles up into different sounds, then a lid goes on temporarily. The ups and downs give it a narrative structure - not that it tells me a story, but that you feel it taking the shape of a progressing narrative. But honestly, I'm making it sound academic and boring, when it is actually an energising rollercoaster. 5*
So many things come to mind when hearing this album. It sounds like a party gone mad. It sounds like the music is ready to fall apart at any moment but somehow still holds together. It sounds like it could be the soundtrack to some bawdy film noir. Then throughout there's moments of utter peace and beauty. I would say there isn't a jazz album like it but that's too obvious. Is it even a jazz album? There's the problem with labels. It has to be categorized somehow so that it can be placed in the appropriate section in the record bins. Very few jazz albums also feature both a Tuba and a Classical Guitar (that would be bonus points if it already didn't deserve its 5 stars but the music already accomplished that) This review could go on for a while if I went into everything that went through my mind when listening to it instead of just touching on the broad ideas in the first paragraph. It's been a few years since I put this on and I had to listen to it twice and want to put it on yet again. Thank you Mingus!
Killer album. I love the low end, Bass, Tuba, Bari Sax. Just the wide variety of instruments all coming together for such a beautiful piece.
I like jazz music, but for no good reason, I don't listen to it so frequently. This album is a good remember that I need to listen to it more and more. An excellent album for all days.
I'm an absolutely massive swing-era jazz fan --I love swing dancing-- but as jazz moved away from the swing era to bebop, modal, and other genres I kinda lose interest since it just isn't for me. Nonetheless, I found this album did work for me, even if it's a bit more experimental, although I don't see myself returning to it any time soon. Solid jazz played by solid musicians.
I am not @ good judge of jazz or a jazz man at all. Not like I hated it, but wouldn't listen again
To anyone that says, "I don't like jazz", I'd say, "You aren't listening to the right jazz for you then." Jazz is like a therapist -very personal and you may have to try a lot of it before you find the right jazz for you :) <> People on tv who liked jazz were portrayed as pretentious and the jazz they played in movies for those people was like listening to "Free Bird"'s guitar solo on repeat a bajillion times aka not for me AND THEN, Rachael played me a song or two on a most unforgettable road trip. It was big band music and it was stuff I had heard without knowing it (Thanks, Tom & Jerry). I immediately bought the Ken Burns Jazz 5-cd set and wore it out. <> Mingus looks like Bunk from The Wire - who wouldn't like that? ;-) <> Listening to this album, the 40 min flew by so I'd say I liked it as I search for Ken Burns collection on spotify...
Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: None Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Yes that was in fact jazz. Don't know enough about jazz to really understand what makes good jazz and what doesn't. Sounded pretty good to me, but also sounded like good ol' jazz.
I can't. I feel like there's some 'emperor's new clothes' thing going on with jazz like this. Like, don't they see he's wearing nothing?! I keep waiting for that eureka moment when I might understand it a little, but it has yet to come. The noise almost hurts my brain, it's overbearing, dissonant, disturbing. Maybe that's the point. I don't get it.
My only other jazz listening experience is with Monk and I gotta say Mingus feels more fluid and easier to engage with thus far. I still put Monk Live in Tokyo at the top of my list but this album is a banger.
This was a great jazz album, and I'm definitely going to look into more albums by Mingus (note to self: Wikipedia says "Mingus Ah Um" is his other masterpiece).
What can be said about this album that hasn’t been said already? It’s a perfect album. 5 stars. Just beautiful, lively, haunting, full of emotion. Recorded beautifully.
Wow, I loved listening to this. Interesting to have 2 jazz albums so close together. I greatly prefer this style to Kind of Blue, personally.
First time listening: 4/4 songs liked Now, this album is a jazz trip for sure. Didn't ideas melding together in its cohesive titles and movements, this one is way more efficient in its use of length despite its only 4 song repertoire. Wouldn't save any songs, but it's definitely worth a listen. No songs saved
I'm listening to this as the only person in my office on a Friday that is gray and rainy out. This, album is perfect and its impossible to pause or walk away from it once you start it. It's hard to pick a favorite track, but that closing medley is a hell of a tune.
Incredible. What a journey - through a city, through a mind. Not \"listen to it in the background\" music.
Holy shit, two jazz albums in a row! While I liked the Keith Jarrett album I got yesterday, I fucking love Mingus. His songs just pack so much furious energy into every measure. Captivating from beginning to end 5/5
4.5 | Hace muchos años aprendí qué son los Ostinatos en la música gracias a este disco. Solo hay realmente dos discos de Charles Mingus así que supongo que el otro no estará aquí. En mi opinión este es mejor, es su obra mejor lograda, tiene un sentido entero, dirección y un fondo conceptual sólido. El problema puede ser que llega a ser demasiado densa y si no se tiene conocimiento de las notas que acompañan al album puede parecer un monton de música improvisada sin sentido, a pesar de todo creo que incluso cuando no se lee el acompañamiento se puede sentir la calidad de música, la prevalencia obviamente de ese contrabajo y por supuesto la parte que creo es más famosona, cuando todo se vuelve una guitarra española por un instante. Si lo comparamos con Bitches Brew por ejemplo, tenemos un disco que por muchos años le gana a Miles, se siente menos experimental en algunos aspectos, menos "free flow" que el otro, pero muchísimo más denso y con contenido. Entendible a quien no le agrade, en realidad es un disco que exige atención y el tiempo pero que repaga con creces.
I had a viscerally negative reaction to this album on first listen. Discord. Chaos. Any time I found myself enjoying it, these intruded. I started writing up a very negative review while listening for a second time, debating whether to give it 1 or 2 stars. At the same time, I started reading up about the background and intentions of the album. About Mingus' life, his anger, his experiences with racism, his illness and death. I found myself appreciating Side 2 (Modes D - F). It still had much of the discord and chaos that was making me uncomfortable, but I could at least appreciate the mastery and composition and the moods it was meant to evoke. I went back to the beginning of the album, closely listening with new ears and started to recognize why this is considered a jazz masterpiece. By the time I returned to Modes D - F, now truly focused on the music, I was blown away. This is a challenging album and clearly isn't background music like so much jazz - it demands attention. It demands struggle. It's worth it and I stand corrected.
This was a rather dramatic soundtrack to my rather ordinary day. Evocative and cinematic, this album tells a story, going from smoky and sultry to mildly frenetic to romantic to grandly theatrical in a short 39 minutes. Not all jazz does it for me but this sure does. Love it.
This was pretty amazing. Very different from the usual collection of songs. It was absolutely jazz, but it really felt like listening to a classical composition with its length, movements, and unity. I sometimes struggle with recorded musical improvisation (not so when it's a live performance), but I never felt that with this work. A lot of recorded jazz sounds tedious to me, but this never did. I think being presented as a unified work actually made it more listenable as it progressed from movement to movement, repeating melodies here and there, and introducing Spanish guitar when it was ready for it. It's hard to compare this to a pop collection of songs. This felt a little more work to listen to, but it was really good, enjoyable work, and I so appreciated the opportunity to experience it.
Stunning. Unlike anything I’ve heard before. Completely absorbing. Such depth, such intensity, such reshaping of the world through music. Towering achievement.
One of the best albums of Mingus - not much too add, other than this is a great album.
I find jazz a mite tricky to write about, an issue I suspect I share with many. How do you dissect it entertainingly without either splatterings of empty words conveying the square root of sod all or acres of minutiae about unorthodox time signatures and tonal clusters that also convey the square root of sod all? Can you just write "it sounds nice" or "it sounds bad"? Anyway, this sounds nice. By "nice" I mean bold, intricate, formidable and singular. Of course, with such an experimental piece as this, the listener is required to be open-minded, but that also implies that it's rather your fault if you don't get this. I'm happy with that conclusion.
This album is stunning, a jazz masterpiece in everything that made jazz unique in the early 1960s - a single composition that stars almost like a ballet and evolves to become very experimental, with an eleven piece big band working in full synergy to deliver something unique, with a beautiful orchestration. Mingus' piano sounds amazing, and his double bass is also out of this world. There's nothing like The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady.
I think this is now one of the best jazz album I've ever heard. The arrangements are incredibly brilliant and ahead of their time. The sounds of each instrument are used in an original and unexpected way. I want this album on vinyl now.
Those orchestrations are miraculous. No one sounds like Mingus and his blend of experimental big band, classical music and the so-called world music. Most importantly, he kept pushing the jazz genre forward while still bopping hard. This album is a testament to his genius.
This is one of my favorite jazz albums. Mingus here is at the top of his game, experimenting and innovating. It is a total ride.
I've never really enjoyed Jazz, but this kept drawing me back with interesting rhythms and sounds and phrases.
As expected, Mingus took me on a journey. Some good places, others pretty dark. The musicianship on display here is amazing in ways I would struggle to express, so I'll take an easy cop-out and just give it five stars.
An absolutely amazing jazz standard. There is so much going on - just melodies weaving in and out of each other. Absolute classic
First Mingus album i listened to and still really good on the relisten. This shit drips
reminds me of whiplash; not terrible, but wouldn't listen to it to often, but i think in the context of james acaster's influence on me i do like it quite a lot
The first item in this project not pretty solidly under the pop tent? I liked listening to it.
Amazing jazz full of energy, just the right length too. I got a little tired of jazz by the very end lol
I liked it, but don't think I'm qualified to say any more than that. Seemed like jazz of an experimental nature.
I've never quite heard anything like this, and I've listened to a lot of Jazz. It's amazing how Jazz can be so varied. This also shouldn't factor into my rating, but the cover photo of Mingus is 100% Grade-A badass.
Más jazz interesante. 4 temas, 2 por cada cara del vinilo, y casi 40 minutos de música pensada para la danza como indican los propios nombres de pista.
Amazing. His 'Blues & Roots' is my favourite jazz record of all time, but this is up there.
This is a landmark free jazz album, simply brilliant musicianship and improvisation, very different from Ah Um but still very good
Nice vibes!!! I'm not really used to listening to jazz so sometimes was a bit difficult to me to carry on, but had a really nice time. I should listen to it more! It's brilliant!
Murzynski swiety i grzeszna pannica jest to chyba jeden z najbardziej popularnych materialow Mingusa, czyli najbardziej wkurwionego jazzowego grajka w historii, nie bez przyczyny mowi sie wkurzony jak mingus, ktory potrafil na scenie pogruchotac swego basa tylko dlatego, ze wsrod publicznosci znalazly sie osoby ktore utrudnialy wystep, wynika to pewnie z perferkcjonizmu muzycznego do jakiego dazyl mingus, nie byl on tylko muzykiem, ale przede wszystkim kompozytorem oraz liderem bigbandowym, cos jak byciedyrygent i kompozytor w jednym, wiec sam albumik jest 39 minutowa kompozycja, ktora z zalozenia miala byc baletem, stad nazwy trakow A B C, solo dancowanie, duo, grupy, zagrany w 11 osobowym bandzie, zastanawia mnie jak mozna dojsc do tworzenia perfekcyjnych improwizacji bebopowych rozpisanych niczym symfonie, podczas nagrywania overdub musial byc mocno uzywany, ale granie nadal ma w sobie to cos co sprawia, ze mzyka wydaje sie byc zywa, bopowe zmiany tempa na 11 grajow, wut, wsrod skladu bandowego kojarze tylko 2 nazwiska Byarda od klawiszy oraz Richardsona od fletowania, ale po przesluchania bede musial sprawdzic Wiliamsa od trabkowania, glownie za ostatni track na plycie, ciezko wybrac co wrzucic na plejke, wiec wrzucam calosc, bo niezbyt czesto jakie jazzowania sie na 1001 albumiarzu pojawiaja
Pretty good, definitely in my area of jazz that I can enjoy. Solid background music with some intense portions. Kind of hilarious that the review on the blog highlights "don't expect to get anything else done while listening, this is as far from background music as it gets." Guess I completely missed that part.
Am Anfang Zuviel big band aber dann wirklich virtuos mit den spanischen gitarrenelementen wie ein anspruchsvolles Western ballet
Very enjoyable. Orchestral jazz. Often steady bass, drums, strings, and brass rhythms underlay with lively trumpet and piano overlay with periods of all-in exuberance. There is a lot to pay attention to. Short album (40 minutes), but you pick up more when you listen to it again (and again!).
Interesting - at times smooth, sultry, dissonant , languid, frenetic. The blend of styles in the highlighted track (big band -> flamenco) is great.
Well, now, that was certainly interesting! At times, it gets a bit chaotic for my listening, but I have a feeling upon multiple listens it starts to make more "sense" (yeah, yeah, I know: music -- especially jazz -- never needs to make sense...I'm talking about making sense to me in my experience of it and relation to it). Regardless, it's a wild ride and there's a LOT going on. I'll need to hear more of his work.
Really enjoyed listening to this. I appreciate the viewpoint that some of the instrumentation didn't 'mesh', but for me, it worked overall.
Raw stuff, on the higher end of the Jazz spectrum, the only thing keeping it from a five was the sonic wall at the end that was absolutely exhausting to listen to for that long
Uuh, meni täydestä torstaiaamuna kahvia juodessa sohvalla. Jätti hyvän fiiliksen ja päivä voi starttaa!
Очень экспрессивно и множество диссонансов создают очень необычную атмосферу, за которую так любят джазовые джемы.
3.5 que sube a 4. La cosa con el jazz es que hay muchísimo que oír y no todo es para todos. Creo que este es el tipo de jazz que me puede gustar en ciertas situaciones y más como de fondo. Aunque entonces no prestas suficiente atención a la abundancia de detalles y calidad que tiene la ejecución. Por otro lado, este tipo de jazz me es cansado para oír con toda mi atención, tal vez también por la abundancia de detalles. Creo que el punto que más me gustó fueron esos momentos en los que entra una guitarra y trompetas con sonido español, la calidad de los metales, y (concentrándome para oírlo con claridad) el doble bajo de Mingus.
Remarkable, emotional and uplifting. An amazing album that keeps surprising. The ending is a bit too much though.
Listened in the car. I'm not sure it was actually this album since Spotify seems to be bugged but...it was nice.
Amazing jazz concept album. The idea behind it was to write the album as if it was a ballet and I can absolutelly hear that. It's not an easy listen but very much well worth the time.
So, it's funny we listened to this after the Brubeck album. Whereas the Brubeck album seems very clean and prepared, this is very experimental and out there. I know that's what Mingus was going for, but that last track, man... wow. It is definitely something I was not prepared for. I heard a lot of interesting things which, I think, with a number of listens, will go into something rewarding. But on the first listen or two, I can see people saying "what is this?" It reminded me a bit of early Zappa, very free-flowing. I liked what was there, but it's definitely not "safe" jazz. This is some dangerous, out there material. Definitely something that you have to listen to a few times to "get."
I dont really feel "qualified" to judge this album as I've never been a big jazz guy. However I know what I like, and I like this.i will definitely come back to this one again.
This one is tough for me to rate, as I have very little experience with jazz. Going in I knew I was really out of my element here and ill-equipped to understand (let alone rate!) an album like this. The first time through I pretty much tried to get my bearings. It was clear that I was listening to some really talented musicians who were really putting it out there. I loved the low saxes, muted trumpets, tinkly piano even though I was often unsure and at times uncomfortable with what was happening musically. But even on that first listen my novice ears found moments of delight, like when the Spanish guitar would jump in. I listened to this a few more times and on each listen I had moments where I was having flashes of just flowing along with the music. A few times this occurred during the cacophonious passages and suddenly something highly structured surfaced and felt like a revelation. I shouldn't be surprised that listening to my first orchestral jazz album is challenging. This isn't an album I could expect to play in the background or even relax to right now... I still have a lot of work to do first. I've added this to my music library as an aspirational act in the hopes that I will do more work on this album and with jazz in general. Rounding this one up to a 4 although I'm hoping some future version of me will want to change it to a 5.
I have certainly heard of Charles Mingus before, but I am not aware of being familiar with any of his music specifically. This is not generally a type of music that I enjoy, and I found this album within my range of listenable. I found the tracks theatrical. I can imagine dancers on a stage conveying a story as I listen. There were some stretches when I didn't appreciate the sounds of the story, but then it would bring me back. So, I have respect for what is happening on this album, but it won't go on into my everyday-listening rotation.
Massive energy throughout, still sounds innovative, full of positivity and dynamics. Fabulous
Liked this. Good background music for work but was also interesting enough to keep me entertained. Might be something I would listen to again.
Reviewing as mostly a jazz novice, I like this quite a bit. I briefly studied Mingus in college and enjoy instrumental jazz infinitely more than vocal - this has an interesting continuity to it, definitely worthy as a full-album listen rather than any one of the tracks by themselves. The only part I don't love personally is the flamenco-ish parts in the final suite - it's just not a favourite style for me - but musically it's still impressive how the band can transition from one section and one genre to another so well. Funny note at 5:25 of the final cut, listen for someone (Mingus?) yelling "goddamnit" in the right channel :D 8/10 4 stars
Wild, shifting time signatures that sway back and forth all over the place. An abrasive clash of styles and emotion on an album that is edgy and sprawling, but one that majorly swings and is sleazy as fuck.
Azong jazz album. Honestly it did feel a bit busy but the more I focused on individual instruments the more I enjoyed it
I know the name but have never listened to any of his stuff. Never heard this before but it's really nice. I'm always slightly amazed at how crisp and clear all the instruments sound in the classic jazz albums. On first listening, 4 stars, but could be higher with more time
I like it. I feel like any good Jazz is almost always at least a 4 for me. I especially liked Track B where it sounded like he was almost singing through the horn while also playing it, very cool effect.
From the first few notes, I knew I would like this album. Great jazz sound. Cacophony broken by melody.
Frantic. A very dark, cacophonous record. I appreciate the one brief reprieve of the flutes, but the addition of the flamenco guitar was a little jarring. Intense. Favorite track: "Group Dancers"
Unfortunately did not enjoy this one as much as the previous, but it was still interesting to listen to.
Dynamic in pace and intensity Solo piano at the beginning of track 3 is very nice Inclusion of Spanish guitar also in track 3 is good Typically ‘jazz sounding’ but nothing very memorable
Sehr entspannter Jazz! Bis zu den spanischen Gitarren am Ende abwechslungsreich. Eignet sich vielleicht für einen Spieleabend. Nicht richtig mitreißend oder einnehmend genug zum aktiven hören, aber ich merk ihn mir.
@@@½. First jazz record listened. Some great stuff in there, but there's a lot going on at times.
okay...it's jazz. Not my cup of tea. I did listen to the entire record and was impressed with the orchestration and quality of the recording for the time period. Great sound on this album. A few interesting portions.
I appreciate the importance of jazz, especially from older times, but I don’t really love this type of jazz that much. I was quite impressed by the saxophonist, though!
Jazz man. Cool album name. I’m not sure I’ve just sat down and listened to a jazz album front to back, til now. I liked what I heard, but honestly it was bascially background music while I worked. As that it worked fine. Dave Brubek came up after this album was over and it felt much more accessable and re listenable for my tastes.
Einer meiner Lieblingssongs ist von Charles Mingus (Moanin'), allerdings hat das hier mit eher wenig zu tun. Ich finds nicht komplett schlecht, aber viel hören will ich sowas auch nicht. Ohne etwas über den Hintergrund zu wissen: Ist das ne experimentelle Geschichte? Free Jazz? Keine Ahnung, ich finds eher anstrengend.
Not really sure how to rate this tbh. I did genuinely enjoy it, but it’s a long form composition, not an album full of songs, so the re-listen value isn’t very high. I liked and appreciated it, but I can’t rate it too high.
Sopivalla tempolla olevaa jatsia. Vähän siinä rajoilla, että onko turhan taiteellista. Biisien nimet viittaa tanssiin ja tavallaan tähän voisi kuvitella jonkinlaisen nykytanssiesityksen. Ainakin taustamusiikkina tämä oli miellyttävää, mutta ehkei sitten kuitenkaan ihan se oma juttu.
Something about this didn't work for me. Perhaps it's a horn / woodwind overdose. There are frequently one or more horns and woodwinds soloing concurrently and also having to compete with multiple horns / woodwinds blowing out the rhythm. This forces the soloists to go out on a tangent to be heard which exasperates the situation. I get that these are excellent musicians and I really like the few minutes where only one horn / woodwind is playing. I just find it a challenge to listen to most of it.
This was pretty good - I don't really listen to jazz but I enjoyed this. He has a cool name too
Feels like I’ve got a turtle neck on smoking a cigar and drinking wine with this one. Very particular mood but I’m into it.
Cool stuff, not sure I could listen to it as much other than background music but I liked it. Kind of all over the place saxes, sounded like movie music from the 60’s.
Listened to it for a bit but not the whole thing. Enjoyed what I made time to listened to.
The only Jazz album I've ever listened to. Not bad for background noise, but I doubt I'll be buying tickets to a jazz show anytime soon.
Fart trumpet at the beginnng... Is it me or does a lot of jazz sound like 4 guys got into a groove and don't know how to wrap it up?
The arrangements throughout are a mish mash in a good way of jazz, classical, Spanish and African themes. It feels very improvised, something you may hear at a jazz club, quite nice as some background music. No best or worst as the entire album feels like a collective that should be treated as a whole.
Not necessarily my usual listening but very melodic and talented playing by the band. A nice change.
No sé apreciar el jazz. Este disco me gustó, no se me hizo pretencioso y fue fácil digerirlo la mayor parte del tiempo. Muchos sonidos graves con los metales le dan como un ambiente muy nostálgico. Siento que a diferencia de otras piezas de jazz, el hilo conductor es relativamente más claro en estos temas y creo que eso hace que sea más fácilmente digerible. Songs: Track C
Shouldn't have listened to it as a background for packing but overheard some great bits
A lot of this feels improvised, but apparently it is actually very deliberately arranged. This big observation probably belies my general ignorance about jazz music. As with other jazz we've encountered on the list so far, I enjoyed it but don't feel equipped to properly evaluate it. (This is somewhat true of a lot of non-rock related genres. And there is a relatively small amount of jazz on the list to compare and get acquainted with. Also none of it is recent jazz, which I find interesting. And then that got me thinking about the complete absence of classical music on the list, and I wondered what Mrs. hell-yeah thought about that.)
I'm a big fan of Charles Mingus. For me, he is a pillar of jazz music. This album is...fine. I think my biggest issue is the recording of the tracks. The mix seems a bit off. These are songs that I would have loved to hear live, in order to give the whole album a fair shake. As is, the album sits in the good not great category for me.
I think this is the most pure "jazz" I have ever listened to. It is - a bit tough. Not particularly smooth, but generally interesting. I do not care for it a ton halfway through, will see if the final two songs move me more. I have listened to them all a couple times now and it is growing on me a bit. I dont know how much I would want to listen to it, but I am starting to enjoy it more
I think I was spoiled after the last jazz album. This one is fine, but I found the brass section squeaky. I'm sure that was what they were going for on Track A and B but it was a bit much for me. Track C was marginally better. Track D was solid; I could've done with just that.
Clearly skilled musicians, but I found it hard to consume. Do I like this kind of jazz? I don't know if I value the right things to.
Probably the best jazz album we've had so far - I just need a bit of structure and order to my jazz.
This guy's wikipedia page is a wild ride, he sounds like he was an immature unbearable ass. The music is okay, but it's not something I would seek out. Mingus the Dingus indeed.
This artist and album is completely new to me, though I'm somewhat comfortable with the genre. The baritone sax on track one put me off for the first 30 seconds but pretty soon I was grooving along to the darkness. I see what Track B was going for but to me it didn't quite get there. Track C starts so melancholy and downright pretty. I did not see the flamenco coming. I'm more or less hypnotized by the time the opening bass notes of the medley grab me and shake me back to my senses. The medley is a lot to take in, but for sure the feeling is delicious the times the melody resolves in the direction you want it to. I see the genius of these tracks. I am in awe of the musician's knowledge, confidence, and ability to play together to actually pull it off with such grace and power. This is next level stuff. That said, these tracks and emotions are best revisited sparingly and I don't really want to give them a home in my daily life. This album is no warm bubble bath, if you know what I mean.
I didn't find this unbearable which is unusual because I despise almost all jazz music. Good background music for a nice quiet cafe or bar.
A fun improv jazz album that hits harder than most on this list so far. The Spanish influences and melodic echoes throughout the track (especially the anthemic closer) bring this one to a new level and give it a bit of staying power.
I enjoyed it. At times it feels like a bridge between big band and cool jazz, like the former is melting and the latter is emerging.
Only four (very long) songs. Still not my thing, but I can certainly appreciate the skill of the musicians involved.
I appreciate the ambition and artistry involved, but this was all too rich for my blood. I need to give Mingus a fairer shake. Just not with this album.
Not really into jazz but found this surprisingly engaging. 18 minutes is too long even for a wig out but i'd listen to more Mingus
Pitäis varmaan kuunnella uudestaan. Ei kovin vaikeaa ja aika jees jazzia. Laitetaan 3/5
Kuuntelin vasta torstaiaamuna, niin olipas sopivan intensiivinen säestys Ukraina-uutisten lukemiselle. Ehkä vähän liian blast, että kotisohvalla noin muuten kuuntelisin, mutta livenä tämmöstä ois huikeeta seurata. Hienoja kyllä ne väleihin tippuvat rauhalliset melodiset hetket.
I admire the brave vision of scale and structure in this album, but when it comes to jazz, I tend to like smaller arrangements where individual players are easier to isolate. I can definitely see this album working well as the soundtrack to an avant garde dance performance, as was the supposed intent, but it's not something that I'd really want to listen to on its own. I'm definitely more of a "Mingus Ah Um" fan.
Free form jazz, or jazz that sounds free form, isn't something I enjoy. The fourth and last track on the album was my favourite. Didn't add.
Jazz melangiós i intimista, podria ser la banda sonora perfecta d'un film noir clàssic
I didn't even begin to get this until one time I listened to it up close on headphones. Even so, it's another one of those albums I admire from some distance rather than particularly like as such; orchestral/big band jazz has never been my thing at the best of times, and if I need a Mingus fix I'd much sooner go for Mingus Ah Um.
I'm not the biggest jazz guy (although I used to love watching Tiny Boop Squig Shorterly and Roy Donk on the Colgate Comedy Hour). However, this was pretty cool. There was a bit much going on during some parts, but overall pretty nice. Quite a mix of styles. 3 stars.
I really enjoyed this and I know it really good jazz. I wish I knew more about jazz and/or listened to more of it. It's like a black hole in my music knowledge. Although as a trumpet player I played it plenty and of course loved that.
I feel like JK Simmon's character from Whiplash would wind down for the night listening to this exact album.
a nice listen, both too sparse and too busy for me at points, definite talent but not a jam for me
Not really into jazz, and this didn’t do it for me on first listen. Maybe more listens will make it grow on me?
I feel bad giving this a 2 because it’s probably a great jazz album but some of the numbers sounded like 2 different bands playing 2 different songs at the same time.
En osaa, en ymmärrä enkä tajua tällaista musiikkia. Varmaan ihan merkittävä levy ja plaaplaa. Parempi kuin Coltrane.
Très peu convaincu. Je vois ce que ça peut avoir apporté d'une manière générale, mais pour mon goût personnel ça joue trop sur la dissonance et c'est trop peu structuré, ça me stresse. Dommage !
Jazz is and is not my music. To much improvisation is to much for me. But some part of the Tracks were nice. I like slow and easy listening jazz.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Saint_and_the_Sinner_Lady -enjoyed the latin guitar on track ‘mode d’
Great coordination between members, very tight performances. Found the muted horns to be kinda grating by the end. Only slightly related, I have difficulty discerning great jazz from merely good jazz. I know what I like and don't like, and I'd say I only slightly liked this. Fav/least fav is a bit unnecessary for this album.
I first became interested in Mingus when I heard that Joni Mitchell dedicated an album to him. Coincidentally I've been listening to some of his stuff over the last month, especially the album, Ah Um. I would give most of them high marks, but not this. I'm not a fan of free form jazz, especialy with a larger ensemble.
I didn't dislike _The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady!_ I think the key was that I had it on in the background while I was trying to figure out how to Blender something, and it was over before I really knew it. I'm not really into modern or avant jazz like this- my jazz jams basically end at the end of the 40's, with the death of big band and swing jazz. I think if everything was more coherent, it would have been better, but it's obvious that's not where they wanted to go with this
Didn't like abstract side 1, but side 2 with flamenco guitar and repeated melodies was good. Reminded me of 1950s cinema and the Taxi Driver soundtrack.
I have tons of respect Mingus and there’s clearly some talented playing going on here but this is the type of jazz that I feel like I really don’t understand
I have to confess I don't really know the right setting for listening to this. It gets pretty hectic and intense in parts, so I can safely say it's not for work background music. I might need a tutorial on how to properly enjoy it before listening again.
The Wikipedia article for this one sounded really promising. The musicians are without a doubt talented and the compositions multi-layered and multi-faceted. Yet, I found this album really difficult to listen to. There's a lot of dissonance going on, making the album very jarring and distracting during work. It's a good example of how technical prowess isn't enough if the music is inaccessible.
I’m of the opinion that improvisational music should be played, not listened to. That is all.
Not totally bad, but goes a bit random jazz on you during most tracks, so not my bag baby!
only 4 songs that’s powerful xx very jazzy but i don’t think it’s actually that good couldn’t finish it but it’s okay
Charles Mingus' epic ballad combining jazz and classical music in an orchestral setting titled 'The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady' released in 1963. This album is in fact one continuous composition divided into four tracks and six movements. Mingus' masterpiece is one of the most acclaimed jazz records of the 20th century, and has also been described as the greatest achievement in orchestration by any composer in jazz history. The music tells an amazing story over the course of the album from an enchanting jazz orchestra. I recommend everyone to lend an ear to this interesting piece of music history.
Man this complicated jazz thing again. I really want to like it, but half the time I think it's emperor's new clothes and they're having a laugh at everyone who says they like it. I'll keep trying though. I hate being out of the loop.
It’s jazz so I have not really any interest… Veryyy long sings that I did not pay attention to…
Well, this probably went over my head. The better passages reminded me of the Taxi Driver soundtrack, but otherwise I found this pretty much unlistenable.
It's a jazz album. There is no singing just instruments. It is better than some of the previous jazz albums on this list but I would still not listen to it again.
New music and a new artist for me. I have listened to a limited amount of Jazz, and I have wanted to re-listen to only a small portion of what I have listened to. Mingus' album was too cacophonous for me. I did not enjoy this album.
Jazz op de vrijdagochtend. Apart album met track A t/m D met als laatste een lengte van 18+ minuten. Ow, wacht, ik moet naar de muziek luisteren. Niet zo mijn ding, maar niet slecht, denk ik. **
i dont understand the point of jazz besides setting an ambiance in a film or something, this one is alright i guess not too fancy last song is quite intense
Jazz for jazzmusikere. Burde hørt det live på en bar, og ikke på jobb. Noen gode sekvenser, men litt støyete.
Absolute nonsense! Every single member of the band is playing a different song. I’m sure they’re all having fun, but unfortunately, I wasn’t!
I like jazz, and I can dig some pretty avant-gaurde stuff, but this was quite hard to listen to. Very few times could I even understand where the music was going, and sounded like the instruments weren't even playing with each other. Every once in a while there would be a nice groove, but it was just a little jarring.
Yesterday I was at a Speakeasy and today I'm in a jazz club. I love it, love these vibes. It's 10am but I guess I need to make a cocktail. I was very overwhelmed by this album. I'm not typically listening to jazz on a day-to-day and there were some parts that struck me like \"the band is warming up\". That was a little off-putting to me as a non-listener.
A cacophony. When everyone is doing their solo at the same time, then nobody is doing a solo. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" by Mingus, is 10x better than every track on this album, but it's not on this album.
Suurin osa listan levyistä tulee kuunneltua työpäivän taustalla. Jazz on hyvin hankalaa taustamusiikkia, koska se väkisin työntyy etualalle, eikä tee sitä mitenkään siistillä tavalla, vaan enemmän symbaaleja paukuttavan leluapinan ärsyttävyydellä. En saanut tästäkään levystä mitään otetta, eikä se oikein vienyt mihinkään tunnelmaan muuhun kuin ärsytykseen. Punkkupullo, vaaka-asentoon sohvalle ja sama levy kuulokkeilla korviin, niin olisi varmasti aivan eri peli. Toki miksei sitä noin voisi tässä palaverien lomassakin yhden levyn kuunnella ja lasillisen tai kolme juoda. Annoin Coltranen Johnille ykkösen, niin tämä levy oli yhtä hyvä.
Don't understand freeform jazz. I've tried - I even went to a jazz club specially to try it. Had a great time but not because of the jazz.
Struggled with this as it's not really my thing, the final track was the easiest to listen to
This just made me very depressed both times listening. I get the musicians involved are talented and you would have to love avant-garde jazz to some degree, but I just couldn't get on board. It also didn't help every song sounded exactly the same except for an added focus of a particular instrument here and there. It's a bit like eating the same meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner with each serving having one different ingredient.
I was looking forward to this, never having knowingly heard Mingus before. But this just washed over me, and nothing jumped out from it. I guess I just don’t really ‘get’ jazz.