The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

I like to think good jazz music is the ideal music to entertain guests for a dinner party. This is the ideal music for getting them to leave my house.

I feel like I should be smoking and drinking whiskey

I’m just not sophisticated enough to distinguish good jazz from bad jazz. But this sounded like terrible jazz at times. Yes yes yes, I know it’s supposed to be like this, but in places they all seemed to be playing different songs. My brain just doesn’t compute that, so it will be a hard pass for me.

Jazz can be over indulgent or easy on the ear, this was the latter. Not minging at all.

Good but the whole two different songs played over each other gives me anxiety

During my senior year of college I took a music history class that focused on jazz. I guess I needed some sort of arts credit or something? But we just listened to and talked about jazz for the entire semester. It was an awesome class even though I knew nothing about jazz. I never just listen to jazz, but I did distinctly remember walking around campus with an old iPod loaded with jazz I downloaded from Kazaa. We probably talked about Charles Mingus, the name sounds familiar.

I'm not smart enough to like this like I should. It all sounded like music I'd hear in a 1940's film noir.

Chaotic jazz, brings me headache

music is love

Não consegui escutar com a atenção merecida, então dou nota default por isso. (Voltar depois)

Un de mes classiques !

As far as jazz goes this was great.

A little too free jazz for me at times but at times it sounded pretty good. 2.5

Great songs, great vibe, great album

Best jazz album ever

Experimental big band, dancing vivacity Heart beats and shade

I’m not really one to judge what works in this genre, but 40 minutes spread across four instrumental jazz tracks just isn’t really for me.

джаз мне очень понравился, но единственное, мне больше нравится музыка со словами, при этом было довольно интересно

SO GOOD! One of my favorite albums from this project so far.

Even if not a big fan of a jazz, it was very interesting for me to listen to this record. Sounded like some kind of an experimental branch of jazz, gradually developing its complexity from song 1 to song 4. Cool classic guitar parts though

The true out-there journeys jazz could take you on are in full effect on this release.

idk interesting sounds but kinda heavy feeling and jazz isn’t my thing tbh

Any album that makes me feel like I’m in a spy movie gets 5 stars. I don’t make the rules

Very cool sounding jazz album. I’d need to listen a lot more to really get it, I think. But I liked it!

top amazing free jazz

Enjoyed the spanish influenced parts, at other parts i felt it dragged. Jazz isn’t a favorite but overall enjoyable to work to.

I love Charles Mingus! so this gets a pretty 4!

This is not my favorite Mingus album.

If this journey did nothing more than get me to listen to classic jazz albums I haven't heard yet, it would be worth it.

3.75 - What album to listen to right after finishing Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. My appreciation of jazz has soared after three years of four years of attending high school jazz band concerts for my son.

Franchement, album incroyable. Vraiment c'est un chaos parfaitement maitrisé et je trouve ça génial. Durant tout le projet, on alterne tellement de phases extrêmement particulières mais si reconnaissables qu'on sait rien qu'à l'écoute qu'elles proviennent de Charles Mingus. Les phases de guitare acoustique sont peut être les plus marquantes à la première écoute mais même par la suite, les solos de basse, les cuivres lourds, les alternances... Franchement j'adore l'ambiance de l'album et son contenu, je le trouve tout bonnement irréprochable et exactement ce que j'attends d'un projet Jazz, qui plus est d'avant garde

Ich glaube, das ist richtig gut. Sitze aber eher staunend davor, als dass ich wirklich Spaß daran hätte.

Too avant-garde for me

listened to again still fire

Absolutely love this album. First few times I listened, it didn't grip me, but with more listens it became so much more that what I had expected. Every instrument has its place, albeit in unexpected ways. On first listens, it may seem like nothing coalesces, but to me it's more about how the instruments are doing their own thing, coming together occasionally with perfect unity. It's like dancing, where each dancer is doing their own thing, but occasionally they all come together to dance as one. Every listens presents a new thing to focus on.

Découverte de l'artiste. Album très jazz, probablement très technique et excellent pour les aficionados mais je n'ai pas ressenti d'émotions ni l'envie de le réécouter prochainement

Super goofy mais faut aimer le jazz. C’est pas pour les novices du genre. Je lui aurais mis 2,5 mais bon… il faut faire un choix.

great

No standouts

I hate jazz, and I hated this jazz as much as any jazz I’ve ever hated.

I'm weird about my jazz. I like it with vocals, or if it doesn't have that, it needs to be up! beat! all! the! time! like a good Dixieland jazz. The meandering instrumental jazz isn't for me. I get the importance, but I don't enjoy the experience.

It was okay.

Quite a humorous commute album. I like it - it’s stylish and has some swagger about it. Listened twice and the second time around I properly enjoyed it, particularly Track B and C. Still fairly hard work though and not a go-to like other Mingus albums I think.

starting to learn that very upbeat / chaotic jazz makes me anxious - bc of this i had a hard time with parts of this record, especially on track A which was a bit overwhelming for me. but there were parts of this album i really liked! some gorgeous piano & guitar playing and track B as a whole was incredible, i could rly hear the classical influences. i also especially liked the first part of track C & the variations on that up-down-up arpeggio hook, the piano-heavy parts of that track were so so good

This album genuinely makes me feel like I’m falling in love with music for the first time again. Every half measure rest leads me into another section of some of the most enchanting sounds I’ve heard in my life. Fuck man. If I was a jazzhead before, then call me a disciple of the horn now because this is the best life can be

Good album. Mingus is one of the classics of jazz. This album is four tracks, three of which are basically different takes on the same melody. The last track is an 18 minute medley. Really enjoyable listen.

Jazz! This was a really good album. Quite funky and chaotic at times.

not a great fan of jazz but this was the most exciting listen i've had of this kind of music ever.

Most of this sounded like the music that would play when a sexy woman walks into a room in an old movie.

211120 15:58 5

Very jaazzz indeed

I like Jazz but there are only so many times I can snigger at musical instruments making fart noises.

Harsh to have to get to grips with this in just 24 hours. For sure, there are some fabulous solos and motifs. But these are often connected by bridging pieces that are difficult at first listen. It's definitely getting more spins though and if it's even half as good as Mingus Ah Um it's going to be a grower. But rules is rules and until then it has to be given a cautious 3*.

Not a bad album but a bit harder in my opinion to get into compared to some of the other jazz albums I’ve listened to so far. Does not take away the skill of the musicians involved but it was not as much as sit back and relax listening experience.

Me encanta!

Dnf

Clásico jazz, mucha bateria, trompeta y saxofón. Le doy un 9 🫰🏼✨

A very interesting jazz album, a bit too chaotic and grating at times but was still good and I feel like the jazz heads go crazy for it

This is just too jazz for me.

I'm sure this is excellent but it's not my kind of music.

good jazz

HOLY WHAT AN ALBUM. Playing this album LOUD is a MUST. Is it the best Jazz album of all time????

Any time I get a jazz album on here that's four tracks but 40 minutes long, I instantly groan. I get that that's jazz's deal. But please, can we get some more standard albums please?! Why are they all LONG. Anyway, the weird vibrating noise in the background of the first track was enough to put me off.

Track B // 3.5/5

It's not something I enjoy, but it's something I can appreciate.

Ihan kelpoa soitantaa, mutta jazz ei vaan ole meikäläisen makuun, varsinkaan tälläinen ”kakofoninen jazz”. Tämä ei toimisi edes kiireettömänä sunnuntai-aamuna, vaan tästä tulee todella rauhaton ja sekava fiilis.

I really still am not qualified to pass judgment on jazz. This has a bunch of energy! I think it is cool. I cannot play this for 99% of my friends.

So of it’s time that it’s kinda like listening to a film score rather than an album. it's very visceral, but it’s too much for me. 4 / 10

Conceptually this album is incredible! I can really feel how each song is a different set of dancers. The horns are fantastic. I loved the Flamenco guitar element in Track C. Overall, it’s a bit chaotic for my liking (as is much jazz). If I want to listen to a jazz album it will definitely be one I would go to again.

Добре

Wow, for some reason I expected this masterpiece not to be here, I just re-listened ti this just a couple days ago, so this is like a sign haha. No other album in existence like this one really, superb, passionate, progressive jazz big band suite like no other. Strong 5 starts

It's rougher than most other jazz that I've listened to. Couldn't really get into it

Vraiment pas ouf, du bruit

Good bop. Got a bit too chaotic for me at the ened.

It was fine but my ignorance of jazz means I have no sense of how influential it is as an album.

characterful album!

Baita disco, bastante diversificado!

This is amazing !!!

mostly well done, but took me to anxiety town sometimes

3/5 Incredibly overwhelming at times, but it was a pretty good album regardless. Not enough for me to give it four stars though. Sometimes it felt like they just threw shit at the wall and hoped it'd stick.

The fact that this is widely considered one of the greatest jazz albums of all time is proof that I don’t really understand jazz music.

I can see how one would like it if they like it.

I was very productive

Fun jazzy album

Not my thing, and I quite like a bit of jazz. Just not this type apparently. Wasn’t terrible, just a bit boring and non-descript.

I find this kind of Jazz just to unfocused to really enjoy. Perhaps if I sat and really listened I'd start to see the attraction

I thought this was pretty rad. Weird and crazy but really a lot of talent. I would listen to this again given the right circumstances with a 'hip' crowd or the right mix in the tumbler.

Good to hear Mingus again, so vibrant, good to listen to whilst walking the dog.

man i love jazz, no notes. just makes you feel good

fun to dance to! cool concept, tracks are very long, jazzy feeling on track

Whoa. I'm not a big jazz head. I think Mingus Ah Um is great, but I don't really know much Mingus beyond that. THIS blew my mind. Take Porgy and Bess with Gil Evans's big band and then imagine that 1970 Miles Davis arrived from the future and said "I'm the captain now, m'fer!" I'd watch this ballet, I want to see someone make this movie. Just for the incredible sounds made by the TUBA alone! this is worth 5/5.

Har ikke vansker med å forstå at dette et regnet som en av de mest anerkjente albumene innen jazz-musikken. Har større vansker med å forstå at dette er fra 1963. Her beveger vi oss fra classy lounge-musikk til eventyrverden, og til og med en svipptur innom Latin-Amerika. Her er strukturen og spillet nøye planlagt og konstruert, og det er nok derfor jeg foretrekker dette fremfor blant annet mer improvisatoriske Kind of Blue. Fire spor, og alle holder det samme høye nivået. Selv om jeg neppe kommer til å spille dette på repeat, kan jeg ikke annet enn å belønne det med en høy rating. Top 3: Trio and Group Dancers (…), Groups Dancers, Solo Dancer

A bit chaotic for casual listening. It would be interesting to find a video of a staging of the ballet, if one exists. This must have influenced Carla Bley.

heard way too many times

Crazy jazz

A beautiful album with some fantastic horns man more of this please

I don't know, I like it I guess? It's fine jazz, but it was just sorta nothing. I didn't get the same sort of feeling from this album as I did from other jazz albums, so maybe this style of jazz isn't for me. Still, it has some moments, but those are mostly bogged down by either repetition or just general disinterest in the piece. A shame too, since I had high hopes for this album. 6/10

Nice listen.

Not a fan

didn’t listen fully to it. Sorry just not my jam rn

Never heard of it. Wiki says “single continuous composition—partially written as a ballet—divided into four tracks and six movements.” I’m excited to listen. It did not disappoint. I want a lounge with a martini to listen to this album. 0 songs added to playlist as it should be listed to all together.

It's jazz, so it's kinda hard to rate - there is a boatload of stuff going on here, and the overarching theme seems to be the soundtrack to an imaginary movie about a bunch of different dancers and what they get up to. Not for the faint hearted, but I enjoyed this for my morning drive today.

This feels less improvisational than a lot of jazz, with clear movements and an almost narrative progression. It's almost like the soundtrack to a play that you can't see. Though that also makes it feel a bit like something is being lost; parts like the short flamenco passages indicate something is happening, but it's not clear what. While the music is relaxing and moving I also fail to be too impressed by it. There's a cool moment where a trumpet sounds almost like a human voice and some other memorable moments, but largely it doesn't sound very unique to this jazz and classical novice. I'm sure there's something that elevates this above similar works to make it so beloved, but I'm not able to hear it.

Wow. This was super interesting and I got very into it. Usually I dont get a lot from jazz but this was definitely an exception.

I do like classic jazz. These guys are truly pioneers.

The first track is all over the place, but I love the darker sounds of Group Dancers. Another great jazz album

i freaking love jazz. yes, i'm more of a music person than a lyrics person. It's fun to be in the mind of someone else while they are just jamming out taking you on an adventure. Mr. Mingus is a legend and this is a beautiful piece of work

7/10 - short but sweet jazz album

I did not like this album at all. It was too noisy, discordant and disjointed to me. Two stars because of it written for a ballet which might make my opinion different if I heard

Favourite Songs: Track A - Solo Dancer Track B - Duet Solo Dancers Medley: Mode D - Trio and Group Dancers/Mode E - Single solos and Group Dance/Mode F - Group and Solo Dance

nice

Track A gets you into the groove of things and prepares you for the rest. Started a little bit Italian but went black to its black roots. That middle part of track B is my shit. I felt like I was with them in the juke joint in sinners. Track C is very enjoyable. The slow parts feel like the perfect suspense movie and the fast parts feel like a western. Probably my favorite one on here. I got no words for Medley. My thoughts were all over the place. Its very good tho. I like the chorus/head a lot.

3.5

First track kinda sucked and the rest of the tracks were somewhat incoherent and abrasive. This is expected of experimental jazz, but Mingus’ composition is somewhat more harmonious than I expected. Some real toe-tapping sections.

Positivt overasket! Ikke hørt mye på Mingus før, men denne var jo sløy som faen! Litt langstrakt til tider, men også veldig mange kule temaer og idéer. Likte spesielt godt første låt.

Purely as a first listening experience, I found it too hectic and discordant to be truly enjoyable overall. I liked the piano and Spanish guitar and appreciated the avant-garde-ness in small doses. Reading reviews after, I see it’s lauded as a brilliant composition and performance and that it was conceived as a ballet. I have to stay true to my own experience and give one of the greatest jazz records of all time…a 3.

Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #16. I am a total philistine when it comes to jazz. The depths of my jazz knowledge extend to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, which is probably the equivalent of someone only knowing Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley. I don’t even know if that’s a good comparison, but that’s the level we’re at. It’s hard to review an album like this after one listen in one day. I usually listen to these albums first thing in the morning, but today I ended up listening to this while on a nighttime expedition to buy frozen broccoli. It turns out that might have been the perfect way to hear it. I like the dark tone and atmosphere. I really like how the whole album sounds. It’s sinister. My jazz terminology is poor, so I don’t really know how to describe individual parts, but I loved how the first track moves from sinister to sultry to freaky in a really subtle, smooth way. The second track felt pure cinematic. There’s also this weird bit where a trumpet sounds like a voice, I thought that was cool. The third track has an incredible piano opening. I don’t know if this album has been sampled to death by hip hop, but that section feels ripe for it. I started to lose a bit of patience on the fourth track, but I liked how it kept bringing back the main motif over and over again, and almost every time it returned it sounded uglier. That was really interesting. There are loads of moments that keep you on your toes, stabbing percussive tuba, random injections of flamenco style guitar, just strange choices that somehow work. The sound of the album and how cohesive it is is genuinely impressive. Why three stars? I feel like this might grow on me, and I’ll try as the list goes on. I am looking forward to more jazz. But as a genre, it often leaves me cold. It doesn’t really convey an emotional message to me in a clear way. When everything goes chaotic and mental, drums flying, saxophones and woodwind shrieking and billowing, I’m not always sure how I’m supposed to feel. I tend to feel very little. I prefer the quieter sections, they feel more meaningful to me. Maybe I’m just not smart enough for it. I’m sure this album is incredibly well thought out and composed, and I’m sure there’s meaning there, I just don’t connect with it yet. Maybe with repeat listens it’ll click, and maybe I’ll grow into jazz more as this list continues. For now, it’s a three star.

Beautiful album - another artists who has 4 long songs for his album. Makes it impossible to skip through and I was locked tf in. Loved it

i enjoyed it

Some of this (especially the start of track B & C) reminded me of orchestral pieces. Like a nice piano concerto. Unfortunately I find the jazz instruments to be far more grating than orchestral ones when they join in.

Ya like jazz?

ok como todo jazz se me hizo bastante aburrido, pero en promedio me gustó más el primer tema que muchos otros temas que escuché de jazz

Тупо джаз без слов даже нечего сказать Музыка к Тому и Джери

This album reminded me a lot of stuff that I listened to in college for my jazz class. I really enjoyed it and it felt like a pretty classic jazz album in my opinion. There were some funky chords and harmonies, not everything was perfectly melodic or harmonious, but it was interesting to listen to. I also really loved the classical/Spanish guitar influence that showed up later in the album. The layout/concept was fun and created a listening experience that was enjoyable and engaging.

I enjoyed this but seemed to be a high entry point for enjoyment, was probably a bit experimental/avant-garde for many listeners.

This must bridge big band and typical jazz. I’m just not educated enough to really appreciate this.

Jazz jazzy, chill vibe was great for what I know about jazz (nothing)

Clearly excellent musicians, but my ear is not trained for Jazz. This deserves more careful attention while listening than I was able to give it today. Will revisit when I can attend more closely.

Great album! Opened me up to a whole new world!

There is some awesome stuff in here and the chaos of it all is engaging. Instruments and sounds flying all over the place and into each other, but it's controlled chaos. That being said, the spontaneity of it was a little much for me, but cool record

I respect the craft but it's not my thing

too jazzy - fast schon katzengejammer. aber auch orchesterhafte passagen wie ellington.

Jazz vom feinsten

Just not really my thing.

really good album

Never heard of Charles Mingus. Yay jazz. Being a bit of a numpty, I have no idea.what makes good jazz good. But this is definitely not bad jazz. Group Dancers is my pick.

my favourite album of all time. I love you mr mingus. highest 5 star of all 5 stars

1/3. Jazz always just feels like noise to me, I just can’t get into it. Perhaps if you saw this as a ballet with an accompaniment of dancers it would land, but for me it just doesn’t.

What is that sound in my right ear the first 2 plus minutes? a kazoo? A raspberry? It sounds awful. Take that away and it's kind of cool, some interesting stuff. 2.5, rounded down because, really that goofy sound at the open makes me want to turn it off 2.0

Saved? ❌ Would listen again? ❌ Would recommend to anyone? ❌ Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔

Niet helemaal mijn stijl, maar alsnog een beetje ok

I feel like this might be in my top ten of all time. A desert island album that always gives up something new on a listen. This album sounds like a night out in New Orleans and you take the band with you as you go. Stopping at a friends apartment, a funeral, the bars, and then back home as the sun comes up. Few albums bring me this much joy.

Easy 5

Track A- Solo Dancer: I know I'm not a fan of jazz generally but it's usually at least inoffensive; this is the stuff of nightmares. If you were brink-of-breakdown this would tip you right in. Gave up near the end of that one as an act of self-care xo.

Some great instrumentals on this track. This is experimental jazz, and it’s not shy to let you know it either. The horns are loud and obnoxious at times, the music not letting you settle for one second before moving on to the next idea. It’s genius, but at the end you are left a bit overwhelmed by it all and your head hurts a bit. I think I prefer more laid back jazz… 5.5/10

Ellingtonian elegance and orchestrational ingenuity intersects with the worlds of classical music and the avant-garde to create the music of Charles Mingus, one of the most respected (and feared) bassists, composers and arrangers in jazz history. The Black Saint... is his finest work in all of these areas, a ballet composed in six movements and arranged for an 11-piece big band by Bob Hammer. along with A Love Supreme, this was one of the first jazz albums I listened to as a kid, and it's another that I was kind of blindsided by at first, but which has made more and more sense to me over the years. my first major connection to this album came from the absolutely show-stopping performance from its lead alto saxophonist, Charlie Mariano. his tone is devastatingly gorgeous, and Mingus wrote him a bunch of brilliant melodies to show it off with. he's the ballet's closest link to its sultry, tender side; the brass section, especially trombonist Quentin Jackson, tend to take things to a pretty raucous extreme, especially on the multiple slow accelerandi that occur in several of the movements presented. Mingus does a lot of traffic direction from behind the bass, and he also makes multiple appearances as a pianist through the (then-pretty-new) magic of studio overdubbing, a technology which several players utilize across the runtime here, particularly flamenco guitarist Jay Berliner. the music frequently leans into chaotic group improvisations, lengthy solo cadenzas and other unexpected twists and turns, but that gorgeous sense of melodicism is always underpinning the proceedings. as far as large-ensemble jazz recorded in-studio, very few albums are this meticulous or ecstatic. 10/10.

I didn't think I was a jazz person, but I loved this. The pacing is amazing and it really feels like it's telling a story. Track A and Track B were my favorite.

I don't have a sophisticated palette for jazz, but I liked a lot of this album. I liked how it slid from orchestral, big band, flamenco guitar, and jazzy elements. Sometimes the sounds blended into a cacophony that sounded very much like noise. That was the point. Often times, I rate these albums by how much I enjoyed the listening experience, and I think about how much I would want to listen again. I would like to think I'd give this one a listen again.

Another great jazz album. You can just leave these on repeat for the vibes alone.

Solo Dancer - 4.5/5 Duete Solo Dancers - 5/5 Group Dancers - 4.5/5 Trio and Group Dancers/Single Solos and Group Dance/Group and Solo Dance - 5/5 Man that was some good jazz. Felt like things were hopping all over the place but somehow it also felt like everything was right where it was supposed to be. And that got me hooked. Well the flamenco guitar hooked me in but still. Overall: 5/5 Favorites: Duete Solo Dancers, Trio and Group Dancers/Single Solos and Group Dance/Group and Solo Dance

Jazz album. Not much to say about it. Don't hate it, don't like it necessarily. It sounds nice, but not my cup of tea. 6 / 10

Jazz, sehr gut, aber ein wenig anstrengend.

More interesting to listen to then I expected. I especially liked the film noir vibe of the first song.

Not my thing, didn't listen to it all.

Første plata på lista til nå jeg ikke har hørt før. Alt jeg hører er some damn good jazz, for å sitere Mark Gonzales. Hørte den to ganger på rappen.

Love

Absolute blast to listen to. Solid rhythms and funk which helps with learning a funk style on guitar that I am learning.

Interesting breaks and switches during the pieces

I gotta say this album grew on me. I started pretty disconnected but as the movements progressed it drew me in. I'll be back to listen again.

It’s a musical variety hour, and that’s not a bad thing. This effort clearly came from a community of passionate, vibrant musicians.

Find it very hard to rate as it’s just not my kind of music. I can definitely appreciate the musicianship and creativity at play but don’t find myself necessarily enjoying it.

Anxiety inducing at points and sleep inducing at others but I guess that’s Jazz for ya!

One of my favorite jazz albums. The brass and saxes are fantastic and it is not too drawn out and long.

很有趣的声音

I've been way too overexposed to this album by hipsters to like it. 2/5

I was deeply surprised to find so many strong opinions in the reviews of this album. I can't believe so many people hate jazz. I don't, but I don't tend to have a bunch to say about jazz, but I did enjoy this album. It takes the listener on a journey in just 4 songs, which is more than a lot of modern abums can say they do. It's well performed and well recorded. If you really like jazz, this rocks. If you feel kind of middlingly about jazz, this is a very good jazz album. And if you already hate jazz, it's not going to change your mind probably.

yani arka kafe muzigi?

This feels like a pretty unique album. You can hear the classical music influences and improvisational style really turn it into something new. I also think having the band leader on double bass adds an interesting element. However as whole, this album specifically didn't capture me the same as some other Jazz releases of the same era.

Damn, this album was an experience! I absolutely loved that! I love avant-garde and experimental jazz, but I’ve got embarrassingly little knowledge of the genre as a whole. There are a lot of blind spots in my jazz listening history, so I really appreciate that this project is slowly filling them in.

I’ve been wanting to get into Mingus but never really connected too hard with Ah-Um. This album has sold me on Mingus. Didn’t know much of his history, but the influence of Ellington is definitely in there. I can understand why this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it! 4/5

It was ok. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t listen again

This sounds the ay having a panic attack feels

I enjoy the distinctive swagger the horn and wind sections in Mingus led bands. This is also a much more "theatrical" project than the other jazz album we've reviewed, A Love Supreme. The continuous composition of this album as one long "ballet" is interesting, and it kept my attention the entirety of it's lean run time with a bevy of textures, emotions, timbres, swings, twists and turns. I really see the influence of some West African rhythms and some Spanish classical music in here, especially in "Medley: Mode D-Trio...". Overall a very enthralling listen, it's easy to appreciate Mingus' penchant for band organization, similar to his musical hero, the Duke. Favorite Track: "Medley: Mode D-Trio..." Least Favorite Track: N/A, I think the whole of the composition serves the work well.

This beautifully evocative project is a real treat. From haunting keys, to Mingus' prominent bass, to more unique sounds like the clear latin inspirations in Medley: Mode D; this album is eclectic in all the right ways. The soul and blues influences practically bleed out of the music, and like half the album basically teleports me to New Orleans mentally. It's also one of those jazz albums where I don't even feel like I'm missing lyrics when so often it sounds like a horn is singing to me. This frenetic, avant garde album scratches all sorts of itches I didn't even realize I had.

The skill here is undeniable.It's the kind of thing you hear and think yeah, they're on another level. But I'm a live jazz person. I want the loose energy and stuff that only happens in the moment. Every note feels placed exactly where they wanted it, and while that's cool, it takes away the thing I love most about jazz which is the spontaneity. Respect the craft and skill, just prefer to be able to watch the musicians figure it out together in person. That's on me, I get it, I just prefer my jazz live and messy.

I lowkey love some slow and sensual jazz. I wanna go to a dark jazz club and have a few cocktails in my little black dress omg. It would heal me frfr

Brilliant. Definitely worth a listen. Moody . When will.jazz come back? There's a lot of much worse stuff hiding this; even on this list

I’m certain Mingus is a musical genius. But his music is decidedly not for me. So do I rate it highly, chicken out and give it a 3, or admit that I endured this album more than anything? I didn’t like it.

Track A - in a nice little pocket at first, then grew way out of pocket. Like a beautiful unfolding of energy in the style of free form jazz. Track B - much more romantic, meant to make the listener sway and swoon. Even with all the speeding up and slowing down again, still left its biggest impression with the early part of this song. Track C - some needed moments of relative silence at the start. Adored the steel guitar halfway through. Track D - more of the guitar! A lot more! So emotive. The piano part around 5 minutes in reminded me of Clair De Lune. Also just insane how much the band packed into one long song. Far from my wheelhouse but super enjoyable. You get a lot of colors and waves of sound in so many different forms. 4/5!

Love it !

Had a lot more fun with this then a lot of the other jazz albums on this list. Bouncing, fun, interesting!

Nice jazz album

Peak

man idk what to rate this album. It would be cool listening to this in a mansion but im not in a mansion. it has to go somewhere in between 3 and 4.

There may come a day when I will appreciate albums like this to their full potential. Today it's not that day

A bit cacophonous at times. But what is jazz without a little cacophony?

Album #48 Charles Mingus: The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Seeing how I have been on the site RateYourMusic before, I am aware of Charles Mingus, and particularly this album of his, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. This is because I have browsed the all-time best album chart, and this album happened to catch my eye; it is a bit juvenile but me and my friends thought the name Mingus was funny and since we don’t listen to jazz, Mingus became sort of a joke amongst us, a reference point for pretentious music that we would never listen to no matter how many dorks on RateYourMusic said it was good. Jazz is a genre in which I frankly never had any desire to explore, even though I consider myself somewhat intelligent, and I do often like art which some consider pretentious; at the end of the day, when it comes to music, I am pretty basic. My favourite albums are those that are built upon catchy melodies, relatable lyrics, and pleasant instrumentals. If an album doesn’t have at least one song that I can belt along to word-for-word, then I’m not really interested. Jazz is sort of the polar opposite of that ethos; it is intentionally complicated and inaccessible, with no clear melodies or memorable lyrics. It is sort of a cliche that Jazz is extremely technical and impressive music, played for a small audience, while rock music is technically simple yet played for a massive audience, of which I find myself amongst. But despite my reservations towards jazz, I knew that I had to give this album a fair shake, if not simply due to its universal acclaim, then for its reputation amongst my friends. My first listen was about what I expected; it was good for a jazz album, insofar as I enjoyed it about as much as I figured I could enjoy jazz, probably around the 7/10 range. However, it was on my second listen that I started to actually realize a few things about this album, jazz, and myself. This won’t be an extremely technical review, since the things that I enjoyed about the music and wish I were able to express with words are simply alien to me; I can’t even properly identify what instruments were playing in certain passages. But what I can hopefully convey are the emotions that I felt. The biggest revelation that I had during my second listen is that jazz (or whatever you would call this) should not be considered the same art form as simple rock or pop music. My biggest disservice to the genre was holding it to the standards that I would expect from those genres, but thinking about it now, it is lunacy to try to compare this and something like What’s The Story by Oasis. Jazz, much like rock/pop, is an art form which focuses on auditory perception to invoke emotion, and that is where the similarities end. I previously assumed I wouldn’t like jazz due to its lack of the song structure that I was used to, specifically, lyrics. But what I noticed about The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady was that, though there were no words being spoken, there was still communication. Each instrument was speaking to the other as if they were engaging in open discourse at a symposium; a story was being told not through explicit words, but through a form of communication that ignores your brain and speaks directly to your soul. The words will be different for each listener, as they are vague yet powerful, conjuring up the most buried memory and fleeting feeling that you have ever experienced. At times, the music is chaotic, which is why the album can have some sort of barrier upon entry. It is hard for someone like me with no technical understanding to differentiate the noises and try to make sense of what I’m hearing. But once you are able to stop asking for the answers, and instead start listening to them, you find the beauty amongst the chaos. The actual music feels so familiar to me, yet at the same time sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard. Most of my experience with jazz has come through its usage in cinema, which is why the album has such a cinematic and picturesque feel to me. There are parts of the album that almost sound like an old western movie, then a few moments later, it sounds like the climax to a thriller. The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady is a reminder of who you are, an experience which explores your soul and lays it bare. I still think that after hearing this, I’ll be able to enjoy simple music, but at the same time, I wonder if, as a society, we have regressed in our art. I have always enjoyed classical music for its ability to express emotion so colourfully, so I’m unsure why I wrote off jazz, as it sort of feels like the spiritual successor. I had a moment of realization mid-way through the final track, that my shitty 20-dollar Amazon wireless earbuds were capable of creating noises so impactful; such a small and insignificant object has the potential convey such technical and emotive sound. This whole blurb of text definitely comes across as some guy who tried psychedelics for the first time and thinks he is the only one who has undergone ego-death, but I’m just excited that I’ve actually had such a unique experience with music that I wasn’t expecting. Part of me wonders if I’m waxing lyrical a bit too much; maybe it wasn’t actually that good, maybe I just like the idea of what I’m describing more than what I actually felt. But regardless, it certainly won’t be the last time that I listen to this album, and this certainly won’t be where I end my newly discovered interest in jazz. The only part of this album which I would say wasn’t perfect was the first track, which has sort of an abrasive string sound that kept repeating, and ending on a pretty chaotic note; but it’s hard to dock it points for that since it was clearly intentional in setting up the subsequent tracks. I almost don’t want to give this album a 10 since it is incredibly tacky for the one jazz album that I listened to, which just so happens to be the most well-regarded jazz album of all time, to have supposedly blown my mind in such a way. But from what I gather, this album is actually one of the harder Mingus albums to get into, so the fact that it clicked for me this early proves to me that I actually might like jazz a whole lot more than I thought I did. So if I end up becoming a jazz aficionado like I suspect I might, I will always look back to my first experience with the genre, and so I will undoubtedly have to give this album it’s flowers (or I’ll never listen to another jazz album again, change this rating to a 7, and think “man what was I on that night”). Also, the title is one of my favourite album titles, even before I ever thought I would enjoy it, and Mingus has a lot of aura on the cover. Best Songs: Trio and Group Dancers, Group Dancers, Duet Solo Dancers Worst Song: None Score out of 10: 10

Some great ‘60s jazz themes that really take you back, but … a little disorganized for my taste.

No.

Oh dear

Pretty nice jazz album from the 60's, didn't blow me away but enjoyed the vibe. can imagine it would have been amazing in a jazz bar somewhere.

Pretty cool but not my favorite Mingus album

Peak Jazz.

of all the jazz, I like this jazz most! it rocks still jazz tho

I’ve had very little exposure to Jazz music. But this was good to listen to while doomscrolling and playing my games. Would I listen to it again? Probably not? But at 39 minutes long, it was doable. I would’ve rather the songs been shorter and had more of them.

5/10

Not exactly easy listening or a repeat track.

One of the stranger jazz compositions I've heard. I wouldn't call this "standard" by any means. It's almost haunting and a tad uneasy, really. Plus an unexpected Flamenco twist in track C.

Mingus at his shamanistic best. Somehow ramshackle and meticulously orchestrated.

slogging through high art I don’t enjoy

I like my jazz, but this was a miss for me.

A jazz album with very impressive performances, but there weren't really any parts that stood out to me as being catchy or interesting or particularly enjoyable to listen to. It feels very improvised, experimental and lacking structure. Maybe I'd warm to it more with another listen but I didn't enjoy the first one.

This just sets my whole mental health off to a new level. Probably wasn’t the day to listen, a Monday. As jazz goes fair enough, hands down, great talent,I’m not a jazz person myself I find it very hard to listen to if it’s not a live performance. Heads on fire

Haven’t had a lot of time to give this album the review it fully deserves but I’ll do my best Love the ever changing moods and instruments used from baritone sax Spanish guitar Some flute in there this is such progressive jazz and for the 60s it’s way ahead of its time The bombastic jams are very avant garde yet seem to come together during its finales Great album a 4 for me

Well smack my black ass and call me Parker , this one is a masterpiece

Recording quality for 1963 is superb, and for it to be a singular continuous composition, wow. I can really see that Snarky Puppy have swallowed the entire discography of Mr. Mingus (their track named Lingus an obvious nod), and I can really hear some compositional techniques used here that Snarky use too. The Spanish guitar really hit me out of nowhere after the beautiful descending piano and flutes goes back into the main motif, that blew me away! Its a musical piece which really uses every single part of the 11 piece orchestra, screaming emotion throughout. Loved it, even though it is a difficult listen at times, but for music to evoke joy, disbelief, happiness and discomfort all in one composition, that's something special. Once you listen you have to give up control as it floats you down the river.

first song impression—sounds like flies are having a drunken relay race around my head or a middle school band starting their warm-ups at different times. second song impression—sounds better and slightly more cohesive. a good song to sway to…. nevermind the beat keeps changing dramatically. third song impression—i’m so incredibly confused not finishing the rest

Day 6. My favorite jazz musician of all time. Doesn't get better than this. I've spun this record so many times and it hits every single time. Fantastic, experimental, and just wonderful listening. Fantastic album.

New York City… the city that never sleeps… I always thought I’d make it big here, turns out the only thing that got made was me… ???????????

This is incredible. Like if Mozart made jazz.

Appreciate the effort, but too abrasive for me to really enjoy this type of jazz.

crazy good. charles mingus was a discovery to me

mingus

Can’t really decide between 4 and 5 stars…

I am vaguely aware of Charles Mingus as I was a bass player in a jazz band. I can't say I ever really did a deep dive into him. The album was a bit more out there than I prefer but hey that's jazz baby. I like the use of tuba as I think it is an underrated jazz instrument and I am also biased as I played tuba before I picked up the bass.

I’d never listened to him before and really enjoyed this album.

What a blast! I'd never heard it and at times it's close to as far as I can go with jazz. But it's so thrilling, even in those more avant garde bits. The way Track B - Duet Solo Dancers starts of slow and intimate, then builds up into a frantic rhythm, then seems to fall apart before picking up again into the ending in which you can almost visualise the duo of dancers, is worth the price of the album. But that also goes for the piano and somehow oriental-sounding flourishes in the 'Group Dance' track that follows, and for many more moments here. I don't want to overdo it on the five star ratings, but with the selection of outstanding albums we're getting and my broad tastes, maybe it's unavoidable. Five it is. Going on my wish list, this one!

I really enjoyed this a lot, having found the first track hideously discordant on a previous attempt. Could grow to 5 with time. Am I going to become a jazz man after all?

A little discordant at times, but it’s Mingus.

doido hein

Incredible Not a wasted moment 9.5/10

Just instrumental

Oh mon Dieu, je confirme que je déteste le jazz...

At times a little challenging but would also just add things that floored me - flamenco guitar coming in out of nowhere? LFG

Not bad not bad I usually listen to these when working so some good ole instrumental jazz is pretty nice and was indeed very productive while listening to this one I wouldn’t say it left a huge impact on me, and I don’t think I’d listen to any of these songs individually, but not a whole lot to complain about here. Would probably have it as a 7/10 but I’ll keep it as a (high) 3.

oo jazz When it comes to jazz, it's easy to let it devolve a little too freeform and abstract, but this is one that is tight. The songs take you on a journey with how the melody and tempo shift, but it's never too distracting or disjointed. There are easily identifyable musical ideas that thread themselves through each song. On a second listen, they only became more clear to me. In Track B, I was quite struck by how the trumpet almost sounded like speaking with how roughly it was played; something I had never heard before. It's just really good music. No complaints at all.

Jazzy!

This is like Head Hunters all over again. The album’s a vibe, it just drags on. If the songs were shorter and there were more of them, I would totally give this album a 5, it’s just the length of the songs cause the score to go down even though I really like jazz songs. 18 minutes for the last song is wild though.

It's funny, while listening to this album, all I could think about was how familiar it felt. It was only until the next day that I remembered that I had to give a presentation on this era of jazz and had listened to this album like three years ago. The unfortunate part, is when listening to some of these albums, all I can think of is that music appreciation class. While jazz has grown on me during this project, I still have a hard time listening to music without words. It’s like watching a black and white movie to me like it’s just missing something and in this case that is the instrument and poetry of the voice. Is this good? Absolutely. This is mixed really well, with lots of instrument variety and different song segments and improvisation that show off different musicians who played on this record. In terms of jazz this is as good as it gets. However, me personally, I'm not gonna jump to put this on in the car ride to work or to dance to or anything. It’s a little shocking how fast the tracks go by considering how long they are. I don’t ever feel the album dragging. Its a genuinely good album but jazz is still not my genre of choice 3/5. Did I need to hear this before I die? Nah, but I’m sure some did

Sorry Charles, it’s not you, it’s me.

OHHH I DUNNO MAN - I’m only vaguely fluent in jazz, so this one still feels like it has a bit of a velvet-rope barrier to entry. BUT when this baby locks into a groove, it’s genuinely gorgeous and I’m happily along for the ride. Then it gets a little elaborate and widdly - like it’s showing off in a cardigan (eyebrowz) and I’m reminded my heart still lives in land of aggressive guitars.

I didn't think I'd make it through a second listen, but I stuck it out and gave 'er a go. (pats self on the back) While there are some parts of it I genuinely enjoy, the overwhelming majority just drones on far too long for me to really enjoy it. I appreciate the talent and musicality, but it's a no for me, Mingus.

More jazz for me not to suffer through.

I just don't get jazz. Can appreciate the snippets but fail to see the overall picture or journey. I feel that I'm open to most things - but this just makes me feel a bit stoopid as I just don't get it.

How do you rate that? How can you rate that? That's way too pigeon hol-ing. I give it a carrot as my rating. Or yellow. I think I need a shower or a cigarette - it felt like we were sinning with the sinner lady.

Specialised taste and I know people venerate him - but to me it sounded like heavy traffic in New York

Enjoyed the jazz

Divine! Five stars! (Did anyone else hear Cruella De Vil in there?)

JAZZZZ

Not sure how to rate. I feel like its one of those things that just grows on you. But i adore jazz so cannot give it less than a 3.

ya like jazz??

More layers than an onion, but missing that fifth star because some of the stylistic shifts still jar.

Not sure I’ve ever heard of Charles Mingus and definitely never heard of this album, but for a ~40-minute-long jazz standard with four tracks it was pretty easy listening. Not sure I’ll ever come back to it but…

I'm no jazz connoisseur, but this sounded real nice. I'm in a moody club, some lady is singing her heart out. Favorite song: Track C-Group Dancers. I don't think I'd reach for this day to day but I can appreciate how beautiful it is nonetheless.

Jazzy, colorful, and vibrant. This was a fun but also very interesting album to listen to. The composition is insanely well written keeping each track entertaining. I also loved the repetitive aspects in the songs. 8.5/10, Favorite Song: Duete solo dancers

One second you’re enjoying a sophisticated manhattan whilst chatting up someone at the bar. The next, running from the mob through back alleys in a foreign country. Romanic, chaotic and so much tension

Tormented schizoid music. 3.5/5

Doot doot

There is better jazz. I’m sorry. 3/5

It was ok. Generally enjoyed it and good background while working.

I really enjoyed listening to this yesterday, and then listened again today and enjoyed it less so. Maybe I need the background of a kitchen to bring it to life

I think they call this hard bop. It isn’t an introductory album. It has some complexity to it.

Sonoridade explosiva e imparável. Extremamente formidável.

nice for when I'm studying

This felt like the jazz equivalent of The Fall for me. I'm glad I've heard it, I like to know that people are pushing aginst the boundaries of a form and being genuinely experimental, but it's absolutely not the kind of thing I would listen to normally. Without a strong interest in avant-garde jazz, it's hard not to find that bits of this sound like cats fighting in a bag.

Not usually one for jazz, but this was pretty good. A mix of jamming and more Andalusian feeling music. By the last track I was a bit done but I could see the value

groundbreaking, ambitious six-part suite blending avant-garde complexity with blues, flamenco, Duke Ellington, and gospel. Innovative use of the big band, inventive studio techniques (like overdubbing), and deep emotional depth, solidified by Mingus's own psychiatrist's liner notes, solidifying its status as a landmark in jazz history.

I need more jazz in my life, and certainly more Mingus.

Listen I probably like Jazz more than the next person, but I'm not a big fan seeking it out. This is fine, incredible musicianship as what you should probably expect on a Jazz album. You can throw it on in the background but sometimes you'll get caught with the avante garde parts and your equilibrium trips for a second.

mingus WINgus

Very nice time listening to this. It’s always weird rating albums when some of them are like this, like what about “bitches brew” how would I rate an album like that on 1-5 and compare it to the rest? Maybe by the time that album (hope it’s here) comes up, I’ll know how to better differentiate artists.

god i really dont like jazz

I really shouldn’t even be allowed to rate jazz because I don’t get jazz. It’s good I think?

amazing jazz, absolutely gorgeous first track

Fucking fire. I fricking loved this. Stand-outs: - (honestly all 4 of them)

Bit much really - I'm just not that into Jazz - four ten minute 'prog' jazz tracks is beyond my limit. It feels like it is an important part of music history but I won't be listening again.

Chaotic

Holy hell this was stressful. I like jazz (we have covered this in previous reviews) but this jazz needs some boundaries

I had to bail halfway through the 4th track because I started getting a headache 🫠 there are some nice riffs happening but wow they are drowned out by every musician trying to play as loud as possible. I would personally deliver a mute to the trumpeter if I knew where to take it.

what a surprise! i loved this album and, even thought, i've never had heard about him before, now i'm a huge fan of his artistry.

Jazzier than jazzberry jam.

Eu boto muita fé que isso é bom. Mas foi bad timing demais cair numa segunda feira de 30 graus do interior paulista. Escutei a primeira música, skipei e não voltei mais. Nota 3 p passar de ano e por respeito ao Sr. Mingus.

Jazz da hora

39 minutos tentando derrotar o boss do Cuphead

Jazz bolado, com o tempo marcado pela respiração dos metais.

Nei fyfaen. Det her e ikke noe for me.

Mingus is control and mastery. The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady is a tour de force!

wait so this wasn’t just the score to whiplash?

I just don’t really get it.

jazz isn’t for me

LOVE LOVE LOVE

great, just not super my style ya know? jazzy to listen to in a dark room at night; 3 stars just because i probably won't go back to it?

Nice one jazz isnt my Music but it Sounds nice

truly don't know how to listen to jazz...sounded ok

Jazz ne moe vidimo

Liked the jazz, but wasn't too keen on the more classical elements. But nevertheless a great way to start a weekend.

jazz (smooth)

Thank you Mingus, very cool

I thought this was interesting! I consider myself generally a fan of Jazz, but this was a certain niche within Jazz that I found pretty cool. It felt like a combination of early fusion MIles Davis (In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew) along with (interestingly enough) a hint of classical music, especially the more Jazz inspired composers such as Gershwin and Ravel. I also liked the variety of instruments he used, including an acoustic guitar at one point. Interesting is definitely the one word I would use to describe this. Favorite Track: Track B- Duete Solo Dancers

really over stimulating jazz. couldn’t rly listen to it tbh

Amazing but not for me.

avant-garde, just following down the line he created

Transcendent. One of my favorites from Mingus

Chaotic and not really musical

4.5

It's a nice jazz album. Not the jazz i am used to but i really enjoyed listening to it. The instruments which were part of the arrangement surprised me at some parts but im also not so knowledgeable on how music was when this album came out. My favorite track was track c the part in the beginning is just stuck in my head. I would definitely listen to this album again

AMAZING I loved it so much I couldn’t stop listening truly one of the best things I’ve heard

Already listened. Insanely good. Very strong 9/10, probably my second favourite jazz album of all time.

No words. Bass pulsing through the bones. Horns shaking the floor. Drama and flowers. Something sweaty creeping in. It might be love in the end.

Tough jazz for me