The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Now that's what I call jazz.

Perfect.

Stunning. Heavy. The best album recommended to me so far.

Not Mingus's best album, but still an easy five stars.

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.

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.

Stunning

amazing wow

magnificent, ambitious and mystical

Loved this record!

This is dope 🎺👌

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.

Got just about everything right. I’ll be coming back to this. 10/10

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is a fantastic avantgarde jazz album. I understand that it is not for everybody, certainly not listening to it for the first time. So just give it a try and after a few spins you will understand that it has a lot of quality.

Debauched jazz; runs the gamut of emotions while being sonically perfect. Fuckin a.

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.

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

Incredible. What a journey - through a city, through a mind. Not \"listen to it in the background\" music.

excellent! but I am biased towards this genre of jazz.

Wild and adventurous.

Basically the perfect Jazz album. Technical.

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.

Great Jazz, a great listen

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 enjoyed it

Mingus: jesucristo.

Put it on and listen. Masterpiece.

Really good! Listened to while working out. A bop. 5/5

superb - already want to listen to this again with a proper sit down

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.

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.

right down my ally

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).

A 5. An unqualified masterpiece. It's just so damn good.

Fantastic album, very fresh

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.

Odlican album, veoma interesantan i osvezavajuci. 9/10

jazzy

Fantástico

Usually hit Tijuana Moods or Mingus Ah Um, but damn this record rules.

Great album for some smooth jazz fusion.

i liked it

Well balanced, sounds good

Opening track “Solo Dancer” has an interesting sound that sucked me in. Despite note being a jazz aficionado, I can tell it’s excellent work. Ends in energetic happiness.

И снова жяяяяяз

Весьма и весьма вайбово. Даже слушая фоном зацепило

Pretty solid jazz

Definitely a typical jazz record. It's a good album and it incorporates all of those things that makes jazz great. Great album overall.

Surprisingly good for a jazz album.

Another jazz album today that I really rather liked. Went surprisingly quickly (because I'm concerned when there's only a few tracks that it'll feel like it's dragging) and it had a real sense of pacing and drama. Loved the drama in this.

Maybe a hot take, but there are a couple of Mingus albums I prefer to this one. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic piece of music and a must-listen. It's 40 minutes of fascinatingly organized chaos. It's insanely memorable for something so complex. To anyone who wishes to explore further, I would recomend Mingus Ah Um and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus.

Respect

Really great composition

A short one, big fan of the genre so easy listening

Well the day has finally come that a jazz album isn't rated 3* for me. Maybe I'm finally "getting" jazz. Maybe by the end of this list I'll be a real jazz fanatic. I seemed to enjoy this album by Charles Mingus slightly more than the other jazz records in this list. I loved the structure that almost felt destined for a stage show. The tracks really take you on a journey that I really love. The build up in the final track is fantastic.

Well that was unexpected. I don't think I've ever listened to a whole Jazz album before so I didn't know what to expect. It was dark, moody, a little bit sexy, but full of atmosphere. One minute I wanted be be sat at a smokey bar drinking even smokier whisky, the next I wanted to be up and dancing. I think if I knew more about Jazz this would be a masterpiece. 4*

Ei tullu ihan helppo jaskalevy ekaksi täältä, mut meikälle ainakin uppos kovasti! En ollu kuunnellu tätä Mingusia koskaan kokonaan ja tässä kuulu ihanasti tuulahduksia 60-luvun freesekoiluista, lattereiden noususta ja sitten ihan vanhanliiton swingeistä. Jää kuunteluun! 😍

hyvvää jamssia

Well this is quite a lovely and soothing way to enter the week.

top 1001 albums and half of them are jazz apparently. this was fun but why are the songs sooooooo long (3.5)

I liked it, Nice music

Это неплохо

Nice, instrumental, fun. I’m not a big fan of instrumental music though :)

God DAMN, bro was cooking with this one. Unbelievable compositions here that combine ornate instrumentation with wild improvisation. Listened to this loud as fuck on the kitchen speaker while making muffins this morning, golly what a life.

4 tracks, exceptional quality

Uma bagunça incrivelmente organizará e orquestrada. Lembro de ouvir no começo da minha aventura no jazz, e achei caótico demais. Hoje, depois de ouvir um pouco mais de jazz, ouvi e gostei bastante. Não me pareceu “louco” como no início, fez mas sentido, deu pra sentir cada instrumento tinha um propósito em conjunto, e soou absolutamente harmônico aos meus ouvidos. Já estou ouvindo outros discos do Mingus, e creio que ele tenha sido um dos maiores do Jazz. Bom demais!

I dig it.

Man this was great

Overall Rating - 4.33/5 (8.75/10). Super album. Incredible jazz.

Holy shit this rocks. Jazz so good I caught myself making a stank face IRL 4.5/5

This album is really interesting in the way it mixes experimental jazz (so delightful and played by such virtuous artists) with some elements of flamenco. I've been truly amazed by the whole of it. I must admit I wasn't quite in at the beginning, but it has been a great experience in the end, so enjoyable and stimulating. It's a great album, so full of details and beautiful moments.

Very nice🔥🧊

Wow, that was great. I'm not always feeling jazzy but as a straight up cacophony, this was wonderful. Sustained and perpetual chaos!

Really enjoyable album. Weird but still grounded. The music actually stood out, which doesn't always happen for me with jazz.

yeah loved it

Нуарный клуб кабаре. Сумасшедший и грандиозный вход в этот альбом, трудно оторваться от прослушивания, хотя середина первой композиции специально создала вражескую баталию звучаний, кажется что танцор перепил и ему нужно посидеть. Танец двух, явно женщины и мужчины, романтичное, наивно романтичное начало быстро перерастает в склоки и ссору друг с другом, доходит до предела - передышка и вновь. Примерение, страсть, секс. Краткий влажный и приторный разговор и снова танец. Замедление, успокоение, обыденность. Любовь и уважение царят в конце этого "танца". Дальше нас ожидает одна из прекраснейших интерпретаций испанских ярких и живых мотивов - track C. Качели и постоянные нарастания и спуск вселяют столько жизни что сложно сидеть и или лежать, вы обязательно пойдете в может и побежите. Сборник всех танцев но немного в другой больше точной и выверенной интерпретации - Mode D. Мне показалось что танец влюбленных слился с толпой все перемешалось кроме одиночки. Постоянные подъемы и падения не дают живости теперь, а изматывают, приятно изматывают но все же. Конец композиции - все смешалось, нет ни взлетов ни падений, скучная однообразная и серая повседневность. Трубы словно плачут в конце. Это траур жизни, любви и человечества. А может это сладкая и приятная грусть и тоска по угасающей жизни, любви и погибшему человечеству. А может все просто устали под конец вечера. Этому альбому я ставлю 8,5/10, неожиданный джаз меня в себя внезапно влюбил, прекрасная интеграция гитары в музыку и испанские мотивы.

Good

Must listen for pretty much anyone even though it might not be for everyone. Texture baby, texture

Not a huge jazz fan but this was interesting and intriguing and for people who want to experience music, this is a must listen

No estaba familiarizada con éste género, me agradó, pero no es buen soundtrack para cortarte el cabello en el baño.

Typically, I don't know what I'm listening for in jazz, but here I feel like the motifs that he's varying on are a lot easier for me to notice. I still wouldn't say that I *get* it really, but unlike most jazz, at least here I can hear exactly what it is there is for me to get!

Mingus is good and I like Jazz.

I am a fan of Mingus and own several of his albums. Pretty sure I was the only guy on record store day who was there to pick up the Mingus At Monterey album. This is great work, I think he is really brilliant and innovative. His work is something I am almost always in the mood to listen to and I keep going back for more. He is a gifted musician. Really glad to find one of his albums on this list.

I could feel my eyes roll back into my head at getting another jazz offering. This was great though - full of chaotic twists and turns. At no point this this drag (which a lot of these albums have). A pleasant surprise.

I actually enjoyed it!

I like jazz and this is one hell of a jazz album. One of my criteria for 5 stars is re-listenability and this one is a bit too frenetic and avant garde at times for me to regularly return to it.

Not quite my tempo.

It's so damn weird. I guess that's the point.

Jazz is growing on me too!

Jazz storytelling! Very well done, love it

Pretty interesting album nice and cool to listen to so this was written like for a ballet piece or musical, makes sense!

Rate: 8/10. Good Jazz.

I would never choose to listen to Jazz recreationally but I always enjoy it when I listen to it for list. I don’t think I don’t understand Jazz and probably never will but I really appreciate its existence.

8.5/10 - Jazz is not a style I have a large bank to pull from, but this is my favorite Jazz album so far. I would listen to this again.

I love this album and wish I could speak more about jazz than I can, but I do know that it slaps.

I’m going to need more time with this one to fully comprehend and appreciate it, but undoubtedly a classic jazz record.

Mingus was always the painter of the post bop jazz. His work almost flows like a painting. Borrowing from landscapes all across the world. This one tends to focus on Spanish and African themes. I loved it. A perfect mingus album only nerfed by being released in such a similar time period as other classics.

Damn, is good

7/10 As someone who enjoys Jazz without being a fanatic, and is familiar with some of Charles Mingus’ other work such as Mingus Ah Um, this was an interesting album to listen to. Rather than shorter form tracks, this is much more of a roaming and challenging listen in which Mingus invokes passages of brashness and dissonance to impart the feel of emotional strife and mental confusion. While that sounds like a hard listen, the way that he transitions the band in and out of those moments are very beautifully managed and controlled so that everything feels organic and natural, despite the fact that you would occasionally find yourself in thick tonal clouds that sound slightly confusing to the layman’s ear. On closer inspection, there were lots of moments that really sucked me in, with motifs jumping out from each of the instruments and pulling me in to the experience. Stylistically, there were moments of more traditional jazz that conjured up thoughts of New York detective dramas, but these were interspersed with those more frantic and compositionally complex phases, which made the whole thing feel like a deliberately confusing journey. And you could definitely hear the purpose of it all. While things became cluttered, the way the band kept in complete control and pulled things back to the more traditional without ever missing a beat or drifting away from each other was a joy to behold. Ultimately, I don’t think I’m deep enough into jazz to actually get the most out of this record, and if I was a bit more familiar with the nuances of this type of jazz, I’d probably get more out of it, but it’s certainly intrigued me enough to give this another few tries in the coming weeks and days, but for now, I’m off to give Mingus Ah Um a spin. Track A - There’s a nice bit of swing to the rhythm here and the pulse of the main motif creates quite a cool tonal edge to the groove. The sax solo is cool too. We then move into a smooth, smoky sounding section that gradually starts to find a rhythmic hold and pick up the pace. We then move into a more traditional phase where the swinging groove holds things down, while we get another sax solo and the band drop in with more intensity and drive. It’s one hell of a journey of a track that moves through phases in a not entirely coherent way, but gathers things together at points to maintain direction. Track B - We start with some beautiful piano here, but no one instrument holds focus, with a beautiful horn arrangement. It drops into a less musically clear middle section, but the tempo changes are really cool and the passing around of the focus among the instruments is great. It’s got such an infectious sense of urgency that it’s almost stressful to listen to, but you can just about keep up with it. And then we dip back out into something more straight again, but with echoes of the middle section still coming through from the brass. Track C - Moments of the piano in this one are heart-wrenching, but it drifts in and out of that into more playful moments, particularly when the band joins in. I actually quite like the fact that this jumps too and fro emotionally and has moments of clarity mixed in with more scattergun, broadly orchestrated sections. It’s a bit like the moments of clarity of a fevered mind clinging on to a loose grip on reality. There are motifs all over the shop that pop into and out of focus but could easily be lost in the mass of sound without due focus. Medley - This has got a proper New York detective vibe about it that we’ve touched on elsewhere, but is in full focus now. That’s probably not a very contemporary read on this, but 60 years after the fact, it’s very much the feel. The moments of pause into Spanish guitar are very nice. The builds into frenzy across the band creates so much frenetic energy that it’s infectious and when it drops back out to the more stripped back piano parts, it feels so free yet stark. There are lots of lovely moments in this track where things come together in a more traditional way than some of the more dissonant and complex parts, but that helps to create a sense of onward journey about it and tell an interesting and engaging musical narrative. The performances are obviously top notch and everything feels so deliberate, even when those more dissonant, clashing moments arrive, as the transitions in and out of those sections are so smooth and deftly delivered. They’ve got so much control over tempo while staying tight and under control, and it’s been show elsewhere, but is particularly of note here. There are so many cool moments on this that it’s kind of hard to deconstruct, but it’s a cool, if slightly wild ride.

Boy do I love a good jazz piece! Only problem is the first song had some repetition that ruined the atmosphere of it, but the following songs picked it right back up. Best song was Group Dancers.

Egentlig er Mingus best i fullt jaxzdriv med en sju, åtte medspillere, men denne ambisiøse plata er også helt fantastisk. Både stappfull av musikalske ideer og stemmer, men samtidig uanstrengt og luftig. Kanskje det beste eksemplet på jazz som orkestermusikk? 9,5/10

Beautiful horns, beautiful stuff. I'm not too well-versed in jazz but I love what it's done for what I am versed in. This is one of the rare times that the song titles really informed how I listened to an album which is really cool. I could feel the stories and motions in a way I surely wouldn't have picked up on listening blindly. The second track in particular felt so much like the "physical embraces" its subtitle describes (maybe I would have picked up on that one, I dunno). A very pleasant listen

an album that really grabs your attention, great musical storytelling this being written partially as a ballet makes a Lot of sense, i would love to see what a performance to this looks like

going to sound fake but this takes me back to sitting in a jazz club but like. better music than what i heard that night. waist-touching, absinthe-sipping type of album. fav: trio and group dancers

Begynder godt, ender bedre

Chaotic. My cat didn't like it though.

Another jazz album that I think is great, but I'm still not sure that I really understand it or can appreciate it fully. I know that it's different from other subgenres of jazz, I can hear that much, but I can't really put my finger on how. I feel like this one is a mix of traditional and experimental or free form. There is structure there, it's not totally avant garde, but it has elements that are maybe signaling a new and different direction towards a more free sound.

Probably not going to come back to it much, but Mingus is dark and smoky as hell and generally I love it.

Goes hard

the filthiness and sharpness was really good here, its like umami if it was jazz

Nice

Good jass album

Amazing, an album that's worth the listen

Really interesting piece of Jazz. I vibes with Track C a lot. Gives some noir vibes. The guitar parts were especially nice. Loved that flamenco.

I love how weird it was while still feeling like jazz music.

This was absolutely bananas

Carlos Domingo

Fijne weekend-plaat, ben het veel aan het luisteren. Het album is erg levendig, bij vlagen klinkt het als georkestreerde chaos. Het schuurt en beweegt en het klinkt erg dynamisch en spannend. Ook de flamenco invloeden vind ik tof om te horen. Jammer dat Teun zijn speakers stuk zijn (rip) ik denk dat hij t ook leuk zou vinden.

This was new to me! Engaging from the beginning. Definitely one I'm coming back to.

Im not going to be able to review this after a couple of listens on one day but i can do first impressions. My journey into jazz has made me officially a fan. This hasnt changed that, its just introduced another offshoot to follow and gain more understanding. On the surface it is dense and complicated and raw. It probably wasnt helped by being on holiday and listening on headphone whilst discovering Munich was a weird combo.

Track a - very heavy, alto soloist awesome Track b - plunger sounds so good - like this one a lot more got a slow swing then it speeds up. I like when the saxes come in and are just so sassy The jazz is very very chaotic (don’t hate it) Charles Mingus being a bassist and making this music makes a lot of sense Spotify says he wanted this to be a ballet… not sure that would work very well Track c - I’ve heard this before! Guitar??? Track c my fav so far by a lot. Blend is so good very good supporting line Medley - also heard this before love the bass at the start. I love the guitar. Love the sections. 🪠 finally some trombone This album just got better and better as it went on storytelling so good lots of emotion Ranking: c > b = medley > a

Really nice music and a very interesting composition.

not my genre but it was enjoyable and i definitely understand why it’s considered great, would listen to it when im not feeling like listening to songs with lyrics, track a is my favourite

Wow. I’m getting a lot of greats. This album is iconic. So excited to listen to it again. I actually listen to it fairly regularly. Man, it really is good. My understanding is this was done in a single take. My issue with Mingus, if it’s an issue, is that I think he’s an amazing bass player and an amazing composer, but he’s not accessible on a first listen. And as much as I love this, I don’t throw it on as much as others, and I lean to Bitches Brew type improv ultimately for “difficult listens.” 4 really 4.5

This is some good shit and you don't have to know anything about jazz to appreciate it. Favorite track: Trio and Group Dancers 4.5/5

Really enjoyed, always happy to see a jazz album on my list to shake things up. Rating: 8/10 Favorite Song: Track A

I will never pretend to be a jazz expert or enthusiast, but I do always enjoy it when I listen to it, at least once my ears have had time to adjust to the abstract arrangements. This album itself was particularly enjoyable. It felt quite atmospheric, dark and in a way fairly unsettling, unlike any jazz albums I’ve listen to before. Whilst I’m not going to be sat at home with it on repeat, I was a big fan of it as jazz record. 8/10.

Slow, crooning city jazz vibes

69# Tripping balls finesse at utmost level The use of space and stereo in this is amazing. It just doesn't click at few times. I'm missing that feeling of floating from this, which is why i won't give it a 5, but it pretty much is.

I like jazz. This is jazz. I like this.

Pretty fun album.

This feels like the soundtrack to the hippest film noir ever. The mood is consistent, but the music is never boring or repetitive. The band manages to jump from style to style within a single track, while still keeping it cohesive.

Wild, cool

This was like a full-on assault on the senses, with every element taking turns in competing to overpower the whole thing. This could have really irritated me but I was evidently in just the right frame of mind for this.

I LOVE JAZZ!!! I’m going to be quite stingy about giving 5 stars to an album though, so it’s not quite there yet

Loved it! I found it cinematic and could follow the tension and release like a movie. You know I listened to the whole album because at some point in track three someone yells “goddamn it” Went down a rabbit hole on Mingus, noticed the cover art looked similar to Brubeck’s Take Five and sure enough they are both by the artist S. Neil Fujita

This is great. A fabulous album using a range of instruments and including a Latin American sound at times. It feels like a really good combination of composition and improvisation. You have to like this type of music to rate it highly and I'm not really familiar with the jazz greats. This is my first encounter with Charles Mingus and I think I might like his work more than the more famous names.

cool jazzy

lesgo

Enjoyable album, I'm a big fan of jazz rock, and so do enjoy some jazz as an occasional change, this was a particularly good jazz album, kept me engaged and was not too noodly.

So cool

Iconic jazz. No consequences music. Definitely should be on this list even though I found myself thinking "What the fuck is happening" over half the time.

This was awesome. So now I got to listen to more of this guy, and also revisit some John Coltrane now that I know I may just like Avant-garde jazz. This just escaped in as a 4,but would have been an easy 4 if there was less piano and guitar.

I’ve been jazzed

GOOD ASS JAZZ

Not very well versed in Jazz. This was enjoyable, if a bit "chaotic" reminds me of a busy urban street corner with the sounds passing through.

Könnte der Soundtrack zu einem Animationsfilm aus den 60ern über eine Maus vom Land sein, welche versucht sich in einer hektischen Großstadt zurechtzufinden

if this is a sin, sign me up!

capa mto foda pqp eh pedradaça mesmo, que absurdo. 11 mano na banda e uma boa mistura com elementos de música africana e espanhola. bom DEMAIS to embasbacado

I just dont get why Norman didn't just name his kid Charles Reedus instead of Mingus Reedus.

No soy muy fan del Jazz, pero este álbum me gusto

My goodness man. This guy’s cheeks must be at least 10 feet wide with the amount of wind he’s pushing out. Awesome listen - very emotional, with a beyond melodramatic-orchestral finale. It earned some self gratuity at that point, and let’s be real a 16 minute song better have it all.

Lovely

I like jazz

Pretty interesting. I like jazz but didn’t know a lot about Mingus’ music. Thought this was good a new take departing from big band and swing roots. The low end bass stuff is particularly unique especially on track A. Track D went a bit off the rails at points but this is a unique and good listen to me.

Track a - solo dancer - 3 Track b - duete solo dancers - 3 Track c - group dancers - 4 Medley: mode d - trio and group dancers / mode e - single solos and group dance / mode f - group and solo dance - 4

If you focus, it grabs you. 7/10

i've realized i need to start listening to more mingus

We get it. You like jazz.

This almost feels like listening to classical music at times. The skill is great and the moods it carries me through are deftly done. I've heard of him a lot but never listened to one of his albums. I get why he's renowned. This may be better than I can appreciate.

This is big music, much too thick to figure this out in this window of time. Textured. Conveying the soundtrack to any number of stories. Hard to retain on a single listen, but I would like to revisit. I feel something like this belongs on a sample platter of albums such as this.

This piece is so sick. 4/5

4/5. I didn't expect to enjoy this album, but here we are. It's not easy listening; there's a lot of momentum and disruption, lots of rising and falling action. It's a really enjoyable listen in some parts, and in others you can't help but feel you're in an 80's bender montage with neon bar signs passing you as you walk forth in a stupor. Overall, this has a strong structure and vision. It's absolutely worth a listen at least once, but requires the right mindset to enjoy.

This was a wild ride of an album - tracks B & C especially. Track B sounded like one of those films where there's a compilation of the main character drinks or gambles himself into oblivion and the music before spiralling. Honestly this thing is fascinating. I can't help but think if this guy would be super into the modern industrial/experimental scene, this thing is full of experimentation and improvisation. It's super interesting to listen to considering this is from '63 where there was a lot more structure required in music; maybe not so much in jazz but even for jazz this is fucking wild. The last few minutes of track D got a bit stale but otherwise this was a very interesting listen.

Experimental big band, dancing vivacity Heart beats and shade

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

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.

listened to again still fire

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

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.

Very jaazzz indeed

good jazz

Track B // 3.5/5

characterful album!

I was very productive

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.

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

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 beautiful album with some fantastic horns man more of this please

Nice listen.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Ya like jazz?

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.

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

Jazz, sehr gut, aber ein wenig anstrengend.

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

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.

很有趣的声音

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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… ???????????

mingus

Can’t really decide between 4 and 5 stars…

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

JAZZZZ

ya like jazz??

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

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

Tormented schizoid music. 3.5/5

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

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

amazing jazz, absolutely gorgeous first track

Jazz da hora

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

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

Nice one jazz isnt my Music but it Sounds nice

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

Amazing but not for me.

avant-garde, just following down the line he created

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

I think the album was pretty cool Definitely made me remember that i like jazz

Veeeerry jazzy. Overwhelmingly so. The arrangement and story it tells throughout is compelling and interesting.

3/5 maybe 3,5/5

I don't think I fully understood this album the first time I heard it a few years ago. Returning to it today, and knowing more of what to expect, I have a new found appreciation for it and enjoyed it more this go around. Plus for the first album I got upon returning to work after winter break, I could have gotten a lot worse.

I've always loved how unhinged this album is

7/10

not my favorite jazz album out of the few I've listened to, but solid nonetheless

Excellent album to start a new year. Love some Mingus!

Loved this! Maybe not something I would shuffle regularly on Spotify but a record I would wear out for sure.

Jazz grind? Progressive Jazz? Beat poetry Jazz? Kraut Rock if played by a free form hating then free form loving jazz band? I don't know but Cool Jazz it's not. The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady can be jarring at times, in your face, the instruments seem to scream in some sort of unison, it demands your attention and it deserves your attention but this is not the album to play for someone you want to get into jazz as it's easy to see (hear) this album has probably turned off way more people to jazz then turned them on. While I'm not in love with The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (aspects of it I like a lot hence the 4/4 rating) it's an essential album for any student of Jazz but cats like Mingus and Ornette Coleman have never been my favorite and this album reminds me as to why. Dig it?

Just straight up good jazz. Don't have many notes, I just love it. Would not give it a perfect score, but I can't put my finger on why. Regardless a great piece of black classical music.

Great jazz album.

I don’t know that much about jazz and don’t understand it to the fullest. Nevertheless, I liked the album, especially Track C

Incredibly impressive. 8/10

Lively. Wild. Extraordinary man of his time. This album is great fun and the last song being 18 min makes me want to go to more live jazz concerts I just fall into the flow

I can't really analyze it in any meaningful way, but it's a trip.

Not my type if music, but still great experience

So pleasantly surprised by this!! Again, I’m not a fan of jazz but I feel like my brain was rewired or something. I would’ve hated this only a week ago. Loved the Spanish guitar pieces throughout. Very chaotic album!!

track C is absurdly good

Cocaine jazz

Pretty fun album

I was thinking to myself yesterday that I ought to listen to the 'jazz classics.' AND a classic showed its face. It's a really nice album, especially "Track B," I am a straight sucker for moody-sounding brass in songs. I've heard many great things about Charles Mingus, so it's good to finally hear him and his band play. Highlight Song/s: "Track B"

Track C - Group Dancers is a gem. The flute melody is beautiful and the introduction of “non-conventional” instruments or ways to play like the Spanish guitar makes me happy in the sense that they allow themselves to experience, to go beyond boundaries. Track B - Duet Solo Dancer reminds me of elephants in a Disney movie. I love the playfulness between all the winds. Love brass! Mode D is a great closing track with details from all other tracks. There’s a “goddam it” part I love. Reminds me of the shushing and singing in records from Glenn Gould.

This man includes liner notes by his psychologist - you’ve got my attention! As always, also love the flex of less tracks and 4 tracks for 40 minutes looks good to me. Let’s see how the music lands… I see the word ‘dirty’ in a lot of the reviews and I get that. There is something dirty and dissonant in the undertones of the opener. It gives depth and mystery and anticipation. That opening track is ordered chaos and it leave me wanting to see where it goes. Then the second track! Anxiety and discomfort but in such a skilled way and layered presentation. Man, the skill and composition in being able to do this 😮‍💨 Nice to hear the returning phases and tying it all together when they can be such different tracks. What a fucking ride this was. My god. And I am ready to listen to the whole thing again and go through the entire emotional spectrum. That last track had my heart nearly leaving my chest. It’s exhausted me!! (4.5)

Oooof. What a solid and interesting jazz album. Great listen. Would be a great re-listen as well.

Love the sound

The music sounds like it was featured in many shows and movies.

quite enjoyed the last one, made my imagination spike

A good jazz album without too much frilly garbage. Pretty enjoyable. 4/5

Like this

Some great musicianship that I respect. Don’t know if I’d actually listen again though. 4/5

Ok Mingus

For better or for worse this almost feels like one long song, and while it's certainly split in some sort of manner the sounds flow into one another very comfortably. That being said this album was something a lot of other albums of the genre tend not to be, and that's dark. Bits of this album felt ominous, a rising tension like the reveal of a murder in a stage play. At moments it would lull and leave you to hold your breath and at other moments it would sound like a full jazz band falling down the stairs, knowing another flight of stairs is in their future. This is not my first Mingus album and I think that's actually done more for my perspective, I didn't anticipate this album to produce such a heavy daunting noise and still keep me fully engrossed and entertained. While I doubt I'll be revisiting the longer sections of this album I definitely will check back in through my life and remind myself why this might very well be my favourite jazz album I've heard so far. I've said before I struggle to rate and review jazz but this is the first album in the genre to make me feel so... tense. Excellent all around. Best songs: Medley: Mode D/Mode E Worst song: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 4/10 (above Heavy Weather below LA Woman)

Oh yeah! What a classic! Such an amazing writer and arranger and playing a mean bass as well! These pieces are so steeped in emotion and played so well by this band. I haven’t heard this in a while and definitely getting a lot out of it this listen. There’s a lot to absorb each listen but that just keeps one going back for more! I hope there are other albums on this list by Mingus because this guy wrote and recorded a lot of great music!

Æ hørte på det her, men æ kan vel ikke akkurat si at æ hørte godt etter, så det e vanskelig å si ka æ sitt igjen med? Det va på ingen måte fornærmanes eller fælt, mest ok, men det gjorde tydeligvis ikke veldig stort inntrykk.

This one is pretty good, all the songs are amazing. It has a little bit of "madness" in the whole album, some "irregularity", but not as something that is bad, but it add to the emotional and meaningful elements. It was a good listening, peaceful and mindful. And i am not a big fan of jazz, but this thing is good.

Really great stuff. So much artistry, passion, complex themes, incredible instrumentation, I could go on. Loved what a complete idea it was.

Great classic instrumental jazz.

Really good.

Jeben album, ali mi nije sa svako doba dana/tajming i malo ga je teško slušati u komadu jer je baš težak. Ali def zasluženo mjesto tu. 4/5, 7/10

9/10 Favourite: Solo Dancer Least Favourite: None

Very good Inserting jazz album

Some very cool ideas, a shit load of talent and perhaps a bit too many ominous horns. I get it, it's an artistic choice, but that doesn't mean it made it easier to listen to. There's a story being told there, a dark story.

Fantastic jazz album. I need to spend more time with Mingus because I’ve been slower to connect with him than other jazz musicians (Miles, Coltrane, etc) but it’s starting to click

Not into Jazz…but this was good

Loved this. Really driving, engaging jazz 4.1/5

I listened to this album like 6 times in a row. Good sound track for driving in the rain. I don’t quite have the vocabulary or competence to articulate what I like about it. With jazz it’s literally just vibez to me. Good vibez. Good jazz.

Horny horn horn

Awesome.

Probably going to have to listen to this some more. Going to give it a 4 because it is definitely a good album, will listen to again, but it most likely won't be listened to very often.

I like jazz.

This is a wild and beautiful album.

Best Song: Track C - Group Dancers. The flute part was especially good here. Worst Song: None, really. Overall: I don't know. I'm not a jazz guy, but I always seem to like Mingus's music. It is pleasantly cacophonous. There's always something interesting happening. It feels exciting, in a way.

Really exceptional stuff, highest 4 I can give - not fully connected after three listens but I think ideally I would need to read the liner notes and maybe give it another few listens before I'm there at a 5.

> The Beatles

Rich, complex: an enjoyable listen.

Very good jazz

4.5

definitely interesting, love the piano