The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

jazzy

Amazing. Could listen to over and over indefinitely. Love the Spanish guitar

Geht so, oft hat’s mich bissl gestresst. Hat so Soundtrack Cobra mit viel dramatik (Pate)

Among the greatest jazz albums.

Doesn't get much better than this.

Justnot for me

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

Amazing Jazz music lots of life but no words

It’s haunting , poignant, and, at times, a mess. The risks Mingus takes on this record are compelling, creative, and courageous. It’s an interesting take on redemption and mimics the mania of metanoia, but it’s too unmoored to be above a 3.

I’m not a jazz girl but this was pretty nice

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

nei fy faen

Kjørte imens jeg hørte på - IKKE å anbefale i rushen. Kom meg ikke igjennom hele track D dessverre, men syns det var noe tiltalende med Track C. Kommer ikke til å lytte igjen. Hørt første dag tilbake på jobb etter ferie, 05/01/26.

Nei, den her typen eksperimentell bråkejazz tåler jeg ikke. Men dæm e no flenk.

Very technically impressive but I felt nothing. Almost felt too much like showing off.

A harsh 3, possibly 4 on another listen

3/5 maybe 3,5/5

I personality like jazz, and the instrumentals are actually very nice. This album is good background music.

Hate jazz

Very jazzy

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.

Æ of mikið áreiti

Það er allt frábært við þessa plötu! Nafnið á henni, nafnið á listamanninum, nafnið á lögunum, plötuumslagið. Allt... nema tónlistin. Svona jazz er erfiður. Heldur sér samt í miðri stigatöflunni.

I've always loved how unhinged this album is

Smooth Jazz, background music, not my face genre but good

7/10

+ Ik hou van jazz dus de vibes waren er wel - Er was geen tekst of iets dus mijn aandacht was er niet! 4/10 sorry

The first listen-through felt surprising: is this really from the 60s? And what is that relentlessly grinding bass sound? I'm reading it's possibly a contrabass trombone. LOVE it! Then... flamenco guitar, flutes? So strange, so wonderfully experimental. Then, during another listen to 'Track B,' two-and-a-half minutes in, I'm unexpectedly swept up into that build-up. I'm suddenly getting Rachmaninov, circus elephants, a sultry night out in the city, a crazed chase in circles, a closing in, still more fury, frenzy, before being gently guided back down from those heights. Knocked the socks off!

I don’t usually listen to jazz, and this album won’t change that habit. It’s just not for me.

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

Wow. I began the album thinking I was listening to jazzy farts to appreciating the guitar work and how beautiful the storytelling was just through instrumentals. As someone who just listened to the Nutcracker on repeat over the holidays, I can see how this was intended to be a ballet, and an emotional rollercoaster of one. Looking up the album, there were subtitles for the tracks with an indication of that story, but the album works so well universally as a redemption arc that begins simple/sleazy/dark/angry to something complex: "Stop! Look! And Listen, Sinner Jim Whitney!" "Hearts' Beat and Shades in Physical Embraces" "(Soul Fusion) Freewoman and Oh, This Freedom's Slave Cries" "Stop! Look! And Sing Songs of Revolutions!" "Saint and Sinner Join in Merriment on Battle Front" "Of Love, Pain, and Passioned Revolt, then Farewell, My Beloved, 'til It's Freedom Day"

Similar to the Miles Davis album, this isn't usually in my highest tier of jazz albums. But there is an excellent plungered trumpet making appearances and the pace is right, so I am comfortable calling this a 5

At first I was ready to write this off as generic jazz and relegate it to the same place I relegate most other jazz albums on this project (recognize its good but ultimately background music that is not for me and give it 4-stars). But then the Spanish guitar appeared in track four. And as if to demonstrate that it wasn't a fluke, it reappeared later on. And that caught my attention in a way that other jazz albums didn't and made me appreciate what the genre is capable of. Or I just need a guitar to appear at least once in any album for me to think it's worth five stars.

Bad 2 not my type of music

Crazy, progressive, groovy, avant garde

This is a fine jazz album, but I felt it was pretty short and could have had more to it.

Love some of Mingus' earlier works, but this sounds like the 60's. Rambling without any seeming purpose. I appreciate the experimentation, but it's not easy on the ears. 2 stars.

Masterpiece, completely unsure as to how I haven’t listened to it by now. Definitely an album and an artist I will be coming back to.

i don’t think it’s really my vibe or maybe i’m just in the wrong setting to listen to it bc it’s not bad just not the vibe rn

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

Nothing grabbed me at all, it was painful to listen to

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

didn’t rally like

i do not like jazz. parts of this were really overstimulating

Jazz is a genre I quite like and yet struggle with, I enjoy aspects of it but others I really struggle to get along with. Sadly this album embodies that to a T, its very clearly good quality music and I can enjoy that but its lacking something that makes me *want* to listen to it and truly enjoy it. It's an album I'll give another go if I ever get a high end audio set up with a quality pair of open backs

Not my genre, but wasn't worse than it could have been. Liked the Spanish vibe on track D.

Powerful but not my bag

To paraphrase another users’ Bitch’s Brew review: It’s really true what they say about experimental jazz…. It totally sucks. Rounding up a star just so the jazz edge lords don’t threaten my family again next time I post my stats on the Reddit group. No other genre’s fan base questions other people’s intelligence when they don’t like their albums. The jazz police (who would be horrible actual police because they’d stop to gawk and fawn over any batch of people making tuneless noises) can zip it.

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?

Never heard of album or band. Not a fan of song one. Ending is pretty good but first 90% is not. Good elements but lack of cohesion. Track B is a lot better. This is classic jazz. Not the best I’ve ever heard but good either way. Really good piano on track C. Really good flute too. This song keeps growing in me. Guitar is so good as well. Should’ve ended after that. Not a fan of the drums. Ending is pretty cool. 19 minute closer. Once again I like the guitar a lot. Best part of the album and it’s barely used (so far). This is a classic jazz song. Again tho I’m not that impressed. Horns are screechy and don’t work together. Drums don’t make sense. Piano is pretty good. I don’t get why it doesn’t end at 645 and start with a new title, there’s no cohesion either way. Definitely some cool sounds in this song there’s just a lot that doesn’t go together at the same time. Is that a xylophone? 11:40-13:00 is really fun. Back half is definitely better than the first half but still just ok overall. It’s definitely no Coltrane or miles Davis. 2.3 stars.

Fine jazz, nothing wrong. Good as an introductary album to jazz imo. Nothing standoutish to me.

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.

Ya that's some mellow jazz. Nothing offensive and nothing too boppy.

yessir!!!! This list needs more influential musicians like this.

Great jazz album.

Points for being very talented, I just didn't care for the songs that much.

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

Absolute jazz classic that transcends genre, what more is there to say

I zoned out while listening to this and became productive.

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

Mingus don’t fuck around!

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

Best Song: Solo Dancer Boy oh howdy I thought I was almost done with jazz but nope. Just like all the other jazz on here, it isn't really my thing - even after listening to, what feels like, 500,000 jazz albums (realistically I think it is more like 5). I can't differentiate good jazz from bad jazz and am not a musician so to me this sounds like noise basically. 3/5.

Not my fav. I think this can be a great album, but It Is too "complicated" for me

If that’s one of the best jazz albums ever recorded, I’m still too young to like jazz. Rough - lots of discordant squelchs, tuning of horn instruments, and noise. “You kids turn that jazz, or whatever ya call that new fangled noise ya think is music DOWN.” (1.55*s) Once again, thank gawd for rock n roll.

Much of the same old jazz from Mingus but with a little flamenco flare. Black Saint was slightly more entertaining then previous jazz entries but still blah. Maybe needed a some more sinner lady to spice it up...1.18 stars.

I like the the name Charles Mingus. I am not into the music that he makes apparently. A bunch of horns and squeaks spread out of 40 minutes does little to convince me this is peak jazz in any way. So many of these albums from the jazz's so-called golden era are just a bunch of skippable noise for the most part. 1.32 stars

Mingus.

Really jarring. I own this and have given it a number of goes over the years and it just does not make sense. I'm not sure what he was trying to do, the last track in particular is just a mess. Critiquing jazz is hard, so much of it is caught up in the playing itself, playing for the sake of playing. I like melody in my music, whether it is Bob Mould, Public Enemy or Beyonce. I think this post Kind of Blue era led to some very self indulgent bullshit wrapped up as innovation, hello Ornette old mate wherever you are. And old Charlie boy tends towards Camp Indulgence.

Not bad, but I found it hard to shake the feeling that I was listening to a better-than-average soundtrack to a half forgotten film noir. Great arrangement for a big band, but really only soundtrack music.

The way the band shifts the mood and tells the story is just sooooooooo incredible

My favourite album from my favourite jazz conductor. The journey you’re taken on by Mingus through the three movements of this album are unlike any other jazz album I’ve heard. They’re cinematic, they’re dramatic, they’re a showcase for everything brilliant that Mingus ever achieved. Just unmatched in the genre and one of my favourite ever albums.

Bra ändå! Svår jazz, kul att lyssna på men kanske inte nått som jag kommer lyssna på så ofta igen :)

I'm Not the Biggest fan I attempted to do my stats but couldn't get past the second song There's no lyrics :(

Not my type if music, but still great experience

liked it

Incredible song cycle that switches between various genres, not just jazz, but Andalusian guitar, in a way that allows each individual work to shine and not just be buried in the longer pieces

im not listening to this

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!!

Not my jam

l’ordine dei titoli!

Top 5 album of all time!

track C is absurdly good

This is perhaps Mingus' best, and certainly a jazz masterpiece. This is a full course meal of sound, an organized storm of passion and rage. It fully takes the big band tradition of Ellington and flips it on its head. If you can, read the liner notes to really understand what Mingus is doing and what his message is here, written in his own idiosyncratic voice and humor. It's not really a casual listen, and it won't be to everyone's taste. It feels more like a classical orchestral suite than a standard album as a collection of songs. Many horns are loud and cacophonous, sort of a Sun Ra flavor but perhaps more grounded-- if Sun Ra is sailing through space, Mingus is on the dark sultry streets of New Orleans or Madrid and tapping into the temper and heat. And so it's not necessarily to make your ears comfortable, but to make them pay attention and to make you feel and experience something. I'm being overly pretentious, but it really is stunning how he accomplishes this.

Cocaine jazz

It’s like noise jazz I love it

Pretty fun album

Here is a proposal. You should have the option of providing the generator your birthday. Then on your birthday it could find for you a highly rated album from your favourite genre and serve it up to you as a gift. That would have made me smile. Or we could go the other way and on your birthday serve you up the lowest rated album you have remaining. Throbbing Gristle anyone? That would have made me laugh. Instead...Charles Mingus? I bet even Charles Mingus doesn't want to hear himself on his birthday. Thanks for nothing generator, on my 43rd birthday you could have given me a smile or a laugh. Instead you gave me a grimace. That is not a birthday-worthy facial expression.

I don't get it. I just don't get it. I see the word "cacophony" used a lot in reviews, both positive and negative. That's exactly what much of this felt like to me, but very much in a negative way. This did nothing but confound me. This has been my least favorite album of this project so far. I greatly respect the talent of the musicians, but I just did not enjoy this one.

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is an album that truly reveals itself once you understand the turning point jazz was approaching in the early 1960s. Mingus stands here with one foot still rooted in orchestrated, harmonically structured jazz, and the other stepping firmly toward a more modular, collective way of thinking, where music is built from motion, tension, and real-time interaction rather than predetermined chord progressions. The core of the album isn’t individual solos but its overarching dramaturgy. The suite unfolds as a series of interconnected movements, where recurring motifs, rhythmic surges, and emotional releases create an almost balletic narrative. This is not background jazz. It is physical and psychological music, where movement and feeling are as essential as harmony. Mingus’s compositional language is both disciplined and volatile. Spanish and flamenco influences, blues, modern jazz, and moments that verge on free jazz coexist without the album ever losing coherence. The modular structure makes this possible: the music is no longer bound to constant chord changes, allowing energy to shift fluidly from theme to theme and from player to player. The nine-piece ensemble functions like a living organism. The traditional role of a conductor is effectively absent; direction emerges through listening, reacting, and collectively pushing the music forward. Mingus remains a powerful compositional force, but the album breathes through group interaction rather than top-down control. What makes The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady especially compelling is how personal it feels. This is not merely a formal experiment but an internal struggle rendered in sound. It is restless, dramatic, and at times unsettling, yet deeply rewarding. Heard in the context of jazz’s broader evolution, the album clarifies why Mingus was not just a composer or a bassist, but the embodiment of a musical philosophy. This is a record that resists instant comprehension, but one that gives more with every return, as the listener’s ears and understanding continue to evolve.

67/1001 First listen. Sounds like a bunch of generic noodling that I can’t distinguish from any of the other jazz entries on this list. 3/10

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"

Nice background music, wouldn’t partake in an actively listening session

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.

Loved!! It was a great story that was told through amazing instruments. Great background house music.

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)

Ambitious, complex. Loved the jazz tuba/contrabass trombone Not easy listening. Probably not going to return to it, but glad to have heard it

it’s probably really good if you like that genre, but I don’t. fusions jazz or whatever you can call it

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

Love the sound

I don’t have a sophisticated enough palette to appreciate jazz in this form. I love Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, the Peanuts holiday specials…you know, that kind of jazz. I’m sure this album is brilliant, but I don’t get it.

An instrumental album for dance pieces to kickstart the week. These elongated pieces tell a story without words. The staccato blasts from the horns and the rise and fall of the beats during each track lets you know when the action is taking place. It’s truly amazing how versatile music can be. As the dance group size changes in these pieces, the music tends to become more chaotic and whimsical whereas the solo pieces are direct and normally very structured. This album was a nice break from the usual suspects of this project.

If this is the sort of thing that you like, then I bet you’ll really like this sort of thing. To me, it sounds like a bunch of long-legged birds being slowly murdered in a swamp. And I don’t like that sort of thing.

I don't understand this. I enjoyed the first three movements well enough, the fourth just baffled me, and honestly none of it made sense. So I did the only reasonable thing, I listened again. Second listen about the same, except this time the fourth movement didn't seem quite as discombobulated. So I went ahead and started again. Third listen same as second, no progress this time. Still no clue what is happening. I'm done for now, but I'll be back for another round at some point. There is something here that's peaked my curiousity. Now, I know next to nothing about jazz. My favorite jazz album is Vince Guaraldi's, A Charlie Brown Christmas, not exactly the deepest piece you'll encounter. Yet somehow this crazy mess is appealing. I think it's Similar to a jigsaw puzzle. Lots of parts, the pieces are all over the place, but if you're able to put it together you get a cool picture. Anyway, I'm not sure I like it, but it's definately interesting.

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

Very experimental

Lovely, great atmosphere and melodies.

Pretty good, but I don't think I was in the right place for it. The freestyle, stochastic nature of the jazz was a bit distracting as I was working, which made it less enjoyable. But, with some whiskey and friends, probably would be pretty good.

Love the instrumental. Great orchestra/jazz

Ахуеть, кажется подвезли шедевр джаза

Absolutely Mingus. This was the dictionary definition of hard work and stressful. You get that there's loads of talent in there, but why is no-one suggesting that maybe everyone doesn't need to break the world notes-per-minute record for a solid 39 minutes? Less is more Charles! This is bad jazz.

insane! was assuming it’d be more transient free jazz, but this is almost orchestral, with just a bit more intentional cacophony. the latin sounding guitar solos were a delightful surprise. didn’t realize how much i didn’t know about this artist, but had assumed it based on a few songs.

love a good jazz album! definitely would not have found this on my own, I've never heard of Charles Mingus!

Better than I thought it would be. Not really my cup of tea but pretty interesting album. I think I would like it if I would listen to it more oftem

Jazzity jazz

Not the biggest fan of jazz, but this was ok I guess. If nothing else, it fit with the frenetic energy of my 45-minute prep period today.

This was amazing. I’m just kind of blown away by this after the first listen. I don’t really know what else to write here, other than that I really, really, really liked this. This was certainly one hell of an introduction to Charles Mingus, and to a degree, jazz in general. 5/5

Not really for me. I want it to lean more on the bass, I guess? This felt too light, too whimsical for me.

quite enjoyed the last one, made my imagination spike

Interesting rhythms and arrangements; inspiring piano that I’d like to try to play/recreate; the last song was eighteen minutes and it felt a little self-indulgent

Mingus isn’t always my favorite jazzman, but this is stunning. Not only is it fun to listen to, but imagining the band working on and refining it is inspiring.

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

Not my thing but is probably shit hot to jazzers

I'm sure this is some superb stuff for jazz nerds, but this just wasn't easy audio to digest.

Interesting and technically impressive but it didn’t touch me

Like this

Track A is awesome Track B starts out awesome and becomes annoying Track C is annoying all throughout Mode D is also too much

Audible excitement from me when I saw this had been generated for me. Quite possibly my favourite jazz album ever. I gave it this most recent listen on a bus journey through Thailand and despite the cramped and uncomfortable seats my mind could not be anywhere apart from with the music. Wonderfully orchestrated and beautifully performed every musician on this record bounces off each other perfectly. The tracks flow seamlessly into one another whilst sounding completely distinct and the number of disparate influences that come together here have no right to feel as cohesive as they do. A total work of genius from one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

Avant-Garde jazzia. Ajoittain ihan tyylikästä, välillä lähtee täysin lapasesta. Luo kyllä kivan kontrastin. Kappaleista ei oikein tarttumapintaa saa, mutta mielenkiintoinen levy silti. Parhaat: Track C - Group Dancers

Love this album. I was already familiar with it. 9/10

I felt like I was listening to a genius, but I also did not "get" a lot of it. I don't know if I'm smart enough for Charles Mingus, but maybe it will help open the door to jazz

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

Of a particular vibe. Good for relaxing after a party!

Mielestäni tässä tapahtui liikaa asioita yhtä aikaa. Nopeutukset aiheuttivat ylistimulaatiota ja tunnelma oli levoton. Oli hauska huomata, että Track D:ssä toistui välillä samanlainen melodia kuin Missä muruseni on -biisissä. Tykkäsin siitä että albumin ainoat lyriikat oli yksi "goddammit!".

Would have been 2 stars but I like this guys name

It's alright.

[mid 2020s cultural critic voice] the repetitive anxiety-inducing refrain in the fourth track of the baritone sax panned hard left with the broad overarching rumbling overture panned hard right is sonically the most accurate depiction of a panic attack ever put to record now i don't have much historical context for jazz or for this album itself but it's fascinating to me. on repeat listens the frantic and manic mood engendered by the album softened by familiarity into a warm sense of clarity that let me appreciate different performers, different instruments, different moments, etc. it was overwhelming at first in a way that felt cacophonic but there's an internal structure that is quite enigmatic. really enjoyed this. a great first album.

About half way through listening to this I realized that this was from 1963. 1963! I mean there's ahead of its time and then there's THIS. There's something so theatrical about this, its like a sung through musical with no need for singing. The way the music moves through sections works so well- just as it feels like a piece is becoming too at home, the music switches up completely. I can't say I'm all that knowledgeable on theory of this kind of music so I don't have too much to say but I both extremely enjoyed and felt suprisingly anxious listening to this. The classical guitar and Spanish influence really shakes up the big band sound in a way that was very complementary. I really love the way themes and leitmotifs are repeated throughout, it gives both a level of stabilization ( going back to something that's already been established) but also suprise (seeing something we've heard before in a new context) that never got old for me

I think tracks B and C were the best, and the first and last ones were a little too chaotic for me. Good jazzy vibes for sure.

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.

Wasn’t really looking forward to wading through more jazz but this was a big surprise. Some elements sounded a bit like Gershwin to me and there was so much going on with some dissonance which I enjoyed and tempo changes and weird stuff. Still sounded melodic though. Overall great album!

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.

Weird but kinda wonderful

Good album, enjoyed listening, but kind of felt like elevated background music. Didn’t stand out to me, but also not my go to genre.

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

Despite my jazz background, I am not a fan of the 20 min instrumentals, what are you trying to prove? This though?? I definitely feel that that attitude shifting. The whole thing was so good, dripping with noire. The inclusion of prominent guitar (flamenco style??) was unexpected, especially for jazz.

Big ball of noise. I can appreciate the talent but it wasn't what I wanted or needed today. Would be a 1 star based on my enjoyment of it, but maybe with the right lens and frame of mind I would view it differently but honestly I couldn't wait for it to end but gave it another star just so it wouldn't stink up my dashboard. Just when I thought it would the last song is nearly bloody 20 mins long.

There must be an audience for this, but I’m not in it.

How can you vote against Mingus!

Oh really. Like I don't already know this album is a masterpiece

Jazzy

Great classic instrumental jazz.

Really good.

More jazz. no thanks. Last track is bearable.

One of the best jazz records I've ever heard. When your brain is ready to take it in, it hits with an intensity very few pieces of music can match.

Like elephants dancing in a chinastore

I liked the flamenco sections. The rest... I have tried to like jazz for several times but this is another epic fail. 2 stars for trying

Ok

Avant-garde jazz parts just aren't for me. The rest is cool, I could hear various styles but don't understand Jazz enough to rate this higher. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.

Absolutely amazing. Great bluesy jazz.

I am sure it is an excellent representation of this type of music, it is just not my favorite

It was fine, though I'm not a huge jazz fan. But nothing egregious on here.

Was told that this is one of the top 5 most recommended jazz albums, and I can see why.

it was good but not my vibe

ДЖАЗЫ ОХУЕНА

Well… not great, if I’m being honest. However- I’m not a huge jazz fan

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

The only reason this isn't one star is because I normally really like Mingus. But this was aggressively unlistenable. Pure noise.

It was ok

This is absolutely required listening for any music fan. This was an awesome snapshot in time of what was a thriving Jazz scene, and it absolutely still holds up today. Whilst not the biggest jazz fan, this is undeniable.

9/10 Favourite: Solo Dancer Least Favourite: None

I mean it's jazz. I guess it's considered good. Great job jazz man. As I got further into the album there were a few fun jams that I enjoyed. Not really for me but it's probably good for what it is - some energetic parts push it just slightly above middle of the road. I don't totally hate it but it doesn't really do it for me either.

Very good Inserting jazz album

23/1089 я не понимаю зачем это здесь

не помню вроде норм вроде неплохо

Never thought I would rate a jazz album 5 stars. Extra star for the cover!

A few albums have come across that I had never heard before that simply blow me away. This is one. One of the Mingus was one of coolest cats that had considerable influence on the evolution of jazz.

That was a difficult task! I was somewhat familiar with Charles Mingus and knew that there was “The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady,” but as far as I can remember, I hadn't heard that album yet. It only contains four tracks, which are arranged similarly to a ballet suite, which I find an interesting approach. I also like the instrumentation and production, but what really bothers me are the constantly overloaded arrangements. It's too exciting for easy listening, but also too inconsistent to be able to concentrate on. It was probably fun live (with a dancing squad?), but I really can't see any context in which I would appreciate this record.

not bad.

I did not like this album. It didn’t fit my style of music

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.

This album is basically a jazz opera composed by a genius having a beautifully controlled meltdown. It’s chaotic, orchestral, sensual, and psychologically unhinged in the most sophisticated possible way. Mingus didn’t just write music — he staged an emotional riot and handed you a front-row seat. Listening feels like wandering through a dream where every room has a different band arguing with itself. It’s gorgeous. It’s overwhelming. It’s the sound of a mind too big for its skull. Rating: 5/5** Short Review: Avant-jazz as therapy, prophecy, and ritual. The horns cry, the rhythms threaten violence, and somehow it all makes sense. Favorite Track: “Track C – Group Dancers” — it’s like being chased by elegance.

Bass playing brotha man

A bit mad

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

Musical masochism.

-Track A-Solo Dancer: am i at a fancy restaurant? -Track B-Duete Solo Dancers: IM DANCINNNN -Track C-Group Dancers: nostalgic, kind of reminds me of what my old orchestra would play -Medley:Mode D-Trio and Group Dancers: moments of peace and chaos not something i would listen to in my free time, but good for restaurants and background music for doing work.

чё-то не особо, вероятно тональность не та

Ich mag Jazz aber das war mir zu verkopft

Loved this. Really driving, engaging jazz 4.1/5

I diasappoint my college jazz teacher once again with another tangential, unstudied review. The Solo Dancer, the Sinner Lady I presume, confidently struts onto the mental stage. They come in hot, showing off their moves with the backing of the band. Then they get intimate, opening the kimono. Lots of playful trills and high-heeled marches up and down the scales. Piano notes build a new stage, and you can hearsee the Duete Solo Dancers, Black Saint and Sinner Lady, swagger in, circling, joining slowly together. They're languid and slippery. That deep horn is a real hoe. They slide and dip and thrust. Yeah, they're banging. This is graphic. About two thirds in, they spooge. The first horn smokes a cigarette. Then they tease it back up for round two. The gentle piano returns as the stage is mopped and reset. A Spanish guitar gives the place a sultry ambiance. The horns return and now there's three or four, and they all sort of writhe and hump, but they keep it dry. My specific and circumscribed formative exposure to instrumental classical and jazz compels my imagination to recast the instruments with Loony Tunes characters. But there they go in Mode D, Bugs and Daffy locked in a saucy Spanish bailar for some reason. Then here comes Taz and Porky, and everyone's twirling and changing partners like frenzied marsupials, and Elmer Fudd's trying to get a bead on Bugs but they're moving too fast, and Porky's in drag and Taz is actually trying to catch Tweety, but Tweety's riding the rhythm and the rhythm is too pure to be grasped by vulgar paws, and Bugs pulls Elmer into a tango and his rifle falls like the Berlin wall, and it goes off into the ceiling, raining sparks from the lights as they cavort in an orgiastic crescendo of fur and feathers, and then the debris settles and Bugs and Daffy turn back into the Sinner Lady and the Black Saint turn back into two and then one wailing horn fading into a shrinking iris. That's all folks.

4 songs. 39 minutes. I prefer my jazz live because watching the musicians play with their whole body and look so into it always drags me deeper in. I watch how they crinkle their faces and glance at each other to attempt to decipher the story they’re telling. Track A was a nice roller coaster. It was fun and variable. Track B feels wild and chaotic like the band is just throwing some stuff out there. But that’s just jazz to my untrained ear sometimes. Track C is like a ballet. I can imagine the choreography. The fact that is Mode D and not Track D is a jazz ass move. Way to break out some Spanish guitar on this track! Interesting shift!

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.

It's an experimental interesting album, but I found it very hard to deal with

Jazz

I'm new to jazz; it's been three years since I've been exploring this genre, and so far, I've stumbled upon many amazing musicians and albums. This is one of those. Easy 5 stars, brb exploring another music from Charles Mingus.

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.

eh

A very loud and messy jazz album that was almost a chore to sit through. This one is about 40 minutes too long

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.

Jazz

I've heard this album from two to four times every day since it got recommended (about 5 days in total). Not because I love it, more because I don't know how to feel about it, and I'm still struggling today to have a solid opinion on it. I'm facing one of those situations in which an album, in general, doesn't make me feel almost nothing good or bad. I'm not engaged nor bored. But at least I can say that I liked some melodies and I do appreciate the clear sound and great performances. To say it in another way, my positive feelings comes from me understanding it more than the emotions it makes me feel. My plan is to keep returning to this record and hoping by someday it will have grown more on me. I could just leave it unrated, but I prefer to give a provisional score and move on.

Day 120 First listen- It was good music while I was studying. (3/5)

Inget jag lyssnar på igen men är glad att ha hört albumet. "Lagom" experimentell jazz för min smak. Trevliga överraskningar.

Good ambient jazz. Liked Group Dancers.

Seemed like a nice blend between true ad-libbed jazz and developed song structure.

A little avant garde at times but not in a way that bothered me too much. Overall this was pretty good and interesting. Obviously some really sick musicians. I considered a 4 but I think it’s a 3.

This is the jazz album that nerds think every jazz album sounds like. Experimental, unexpected, a little jarring at times, but also I really enjoyed it. Not the most catchy track titles, but will still revisit.

Mingus is a genius. Not always my first choice to listen to of his contemporaries, admittedly, as there is something that can sound a bit harsh about a lot of his music, but this album is a masterpiece and I think shows off his composition, arranging, and thematic skills at their peak. I of course love the prominence of the bari sax in Mingus’s band too..,my favorite on this is “Track C - Group Dancers”

not into this type of music, no other comment. wasn't an entirely bad listen, though.

incredible energy! demands attention and requires close listening. not really hangout joint, but if you have the time and the brainspace, get in there!

Huge album. Amazing piece of art composed and played superbly.

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

Musikalisch ein bedeutender Meilenstein in der Musikgeschichte des Jazz. Wirklich großartig!

Nein

My all-time favorite jazz album.

Rich, complex: an enjoyable listen.

Very good jazz

4.5

This music is dense, very complex, and occasionally unpleasant. I actually enjoyed this record more than I thought I would. But I can’t pretend to be able to fully appreciate Jazz, even if this is one of the finest albums in the genre. Glad I listened, probably won’t be listening again.

The definition of Mad Genius. There's so much going on in this album's four sprawling tracks. Between the despondant brass, tripped out rhythm section, and flamenco guitars, it may appear chaotic at first but upon closer inpection it all comes together in a beautiful way. I'm not really sure what the context of this album is, despite having listened to it many, many times. From the titles it looks like music composed for a dance piece, but I'm not sure if such piece actually existed. The liner notes, written by Mingus' therapist, provide some extra insight on the record, and reveal Mingus as one of the most fascinating and genius artists of the late Jazz Era, as if the music didn't make that clear enough. Must listen album, and absolutely do explore more of Mingus' work. It is well worth your time. Key tracks: Track A - Solo Dancer Track C - Group Dancers

Highlight: Track B- Duete Solo Dancers In a nutshell: concept jazz. This is ain't the pedestrian jazz. It's the seedy, noir, exploratory jazz. A plunge into Charles' frantic mind. I highly recommend reading the linear notes (there are transcripts and photos online) to give you more of an idea of where Mingus was going with this album. Because I won't lie- it will be challenging to listen to if you're new to this type of music. Flute and jazz percussion? Flamenco guitar with horns? Random tempo changes? Who woulda thunk it? A little bummed Mingus Ah Um isn't on the list but you can't have them all. Overall: 6/10

definitely interesting, love the piano

Excellent! 👌

6/10

I think it’s impossible to dislike Charles Mingus. Another quality album of his.

It’s a powerful and cinematic album — classical and dramatic, like an old Bond soundtrack. For me, it felt a bit too heavy. I wish I could focus more on Mingus’s bass and enjoy it that way.

I enjoyed the first 5 minutes, then it aged like milk

Best Jazz album I've ever heard thanks Mister Mingus

It's quite bluesy and theatrical; the music has a kind of emotional narrative you follow through the whole composition. The big shifts in tempo go through a range of emotions: it sometimes feels tense, sometimes exciting, and then slow and quite unsettling dark tones as well. It's quite different to people like Miles Davies. There are no big spacious soundscapes or easy grooves. It's about the ensemble as a whole, there's no focus on any one instrument or any significant solos.

It's jazz!

The flamingo guitar in the last track was a cool surprise. Ummm I know shit about jazz - but it was okay. Go Jays! Yesavage!

This is a 4.5 stars rounded up. I thought this was fantastic. I'm not usually into experimental/avant-garde jazz, this works in so well.

I can't really tell good jazz from bad jazz

Really solid album. It’s hard to describe why I like this but I just feel like it does exactly what it set out to do. It’s the perfect amount of experimental - interesting but easy to listen to. Track 4 was probably my fav

Honestly, this album is totally insane. There’s places where I have no idea what I’m listening to, in the best possible way. The sonic palette of this album is so rich. That complexity makes it feel very contemporary. Mingus is such a good composer. At points, recurring motifs make everything sound very much like classical music. At the same time, the improvisation that occurs within that structure is very very good. All the players are super talented and nail basically everything. This is definitely an album that requires a lot of focus to really enjoy. It’s pretty dissonant at times, but all of that makes sense when listening intentionally all the way through. Kind of a weird album to pick standout tracks for, but Track C - Group Dancers was my favorite. 5/5 deserves to be on this list

Good stuff

With a swagger unlike any other, Mingus sublimely ushers orchestral jazz into the modern avant-garde with The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. Making full use of the 11-piece ensemble he created one of the best jazz recordings of all time!

Jazz is a big hit and miss for me but I found I really quite enjoyed this. Very sporadic instrumentation, chaotic yet so technical and precise. Pretty cool.

Here we go. I've listened to a few jazz albums over the course of making my way through this list, though this is the first avant-garde jazz album to hit my list, if I'm not mistaken. I listened to this album a couple of years back and really, really did not like it. Like all avant-garde jazz, I thought it was a cacophonous mess of noise, the merit of which can only truly be seen by other musicians. I'm curious to give this one a relisten as the other jazz albums haven't been all that bad from what I remember. Okay, this is alright. There's a wide sampling of instruments, the instrumentals evolve and change in interesting ways, and there's a general level of ambition to this album that I respect. My brain kind of filters out a lot of this music due to how discordant and ever-changing the melodies are, though that isn't too bad given the respectable runtime. "Solo Dancer" is a good opener. I like the warm sound with the brass, and the transition the song undergoes is pretty good. "Group Dancers" is neat. I like the piano sections, and the string sections are pretty memorable. I know this album's a big deal within the jazz world, so I won't consult to book on this one. I cosign this inclusion

Perhaps this music is just too complex for me, but the whole album sounded like the music that would play in a movie when the femme fatale entered the room, only much more chaotic.

I guess I respect the groundbreaking nature of this but the musical sensation was awful and could not listen

Really good

A lot to unpack in one listen, very innovative for the early 60s. Not my usual listen but really enjoyed it.

Une belle pièce d’un jazz à la fois intense et groovy, avec une orchestration impressionnante. Tout dans l'album n'est pas ma came à fond mais j'ai passé un bon moment, j’ai apprécié la large palette de style, notamment les influences latino. Une BO sympa pour des balades, notamment la Track C qui pour le coup était pas mal ma came (plus posée, moins de petits riffs répétés à courts intervalles, plus de place pour le thème et une belle symbiose jazz classique - quasi tango). Un bon 3,5 !

okok après A Supreme Love, ça fait du bien d'avoir un jazz dansant, avec quelques passages un peu déjantés (petits stops & go très appréciés pour insuffler d'autres modes rythmiques par moments). la construction en 4 parties et le fait que ça ait été pensé comme un ballet est très satisfaisant, en un sens. 4.2 étoiles pour cet album qui passe vraiment bien!

Screeching Sax. No more please. DNF. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): ⭐ Didn't like it. Saved no tracks.

Have you ever listened to musicians warming up? Because that's what this sounds like to me. Like everyone is just doing their own thing. It's not my flavor of jazz. I don't get it. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

Este disco me fez vencer certas dificuldades com esta mistura de jazz orquestral com insinuações atonais. Os temas são muito bonitos e as interpretações conseguem jogar com o caos e o lirismo de forma brilhante. Ótimo álbum!

3.5

3.0

Need this record

Das war zu anstrengend

Jazz

This is what should be played to people who say they dislike jazz. If they still say they dislike jazz after hearing this, they're a hopeless case.

very jazzy

As I would probably have guessed, this does nothing for me. Its fine, but a second listen would do nothing for my life, I wouldn't gain a thing

Not crazy about the first 60 seconds. Took about 4 minutes in on the first track. Pretty good jazz album. Not one of my favorites though. 3 stars.

Sure. Yeah. It's jazz. Not bad.

Un sonido sucio y exquisito. Un GRAN álbum.

I think I just got mugged by jazz.

jazzguy_nice.gif

A Jazz album I already owned but want necessarily in love with, preferring his other records Mingus Ah I'm and MIngus Mingus Mingus... This one obviously makes my family uncomfortable and is the least easy listening of the three, but has a formidable reputation and complexity. The final track is over 18 mins and is a Medley in many parts, some of which are my favourite of the album. Overall it is obviously great if not a favourite.

Ебашу по пятёрке как Агутин

3.1 It's fine. It's good musicianship, and I think at the time to hear it in a smokey jazz club with a nice cocktail would have been an enjoyable experience. But in 2025, when is the right time to listen to this. I think it's a too erratic to work to, too pretentious to have on with guests, too boring to have on when cooking/running etc. It's fine, but I think it's lost its place in modern society.

What a genius. Incredible motif which is just brilliantly used and abused over the 39min run. Very funny cause I’m transcribing one of his songs at the moment so this is perfect timing for his vibe.

I really do have a soft spot for jazz, and this album touches that spot. A beautiful and experimental album that was both fun and brilliant.

good stuff, surprising highs and lows

I have a hard time rating this as I am not super well-versed in jazz music. That being said this is incredible to my ear and I really enjoy Mingus's stuff. 9/10

I’m just not a fan of jazz. Parts of this were ok but at times, it was too manically improvisational with several horns going at once, seemingly not in any discernible rhythm.

MINGUS!

to

Great

It's good stuff, although Mingus sometimes is a bit difficult to listen to. I often feel his work starts with a motif, something almost catchy, then goes really really far away from it and starts pushing things, getting a bit dissonant, then goes back to the motif. Which is cool, but can test one's patience sometimes.

Yeah this was good

Masterpiece, but not his best; genuinely can’t understand why Mingus Ah Um is not on this list

Ovo je onaj fazon jazza kako sam zamišljala da sve zvuči ali je zasad, na moju sreću, izuzetak. Ne znam ni do čega je ali mi ne odgovara.

3 out of 5. I enjoyed the dark, almost sleazy atmosphere this album has.

I like jazz, but this was a little too discordant for me. I liked what it was trying to do, though. A jazz ballet is a very fun concept.

I know very little about jazz, so almost every jazz album that's come up so far (sadly, not that many) has been a first time listen for me. Well, I'm either easily impressed or just like jazz and need to listen to it a lot more, because this ruled. It's so unbelievably full of passion and emotion. I need someone to take me out dancing. I should really not be listening to this while sitting at a desk.

Rein instrumental. Bisher das schlechteste Album der Reihe

One of the greatest pieces of music I've ever listened to

One of the all-time greats. Never skip.

I found this quite a relaxing album to have on whilst working. I particularly enjoyed the breeziness of track c - group dancers. That track captured lots of different styles and really conveyed energy

We’ve been through this - I don’t like jazz.

I don't get jazz at the best of times, but experimental jazz like this is 85% just discordant noise to me. I liked the bit of Spanish guitar playing we got briefly. If I am to judge this against jazz the generator has previously thrown at me, I enjoyed it (a tiny bit) more than Bill Evans and less than Dave Brubeck so... 2/5

Lite för svårt för mig faktiskt!

Ytterligare ett album med viben "huvudkaraktären i en disney-film med humanoida djur ser en snygg hona" varvat med "samma huvudkaraktär har nyss fått en smäll i huvudet av antagonisten och är groggy" men det är ändå jäkligt najs? :D

hmm, jazz

Totalt ointresserant för mig tyvärr.