Reviews (page 8 of 14)
This was cool to listen to, very unsettling. That said, I never need to listen to this again. I’m honestly stumped on how to rate this properly.
Fair enough
If I was in the right mood, I think I would have really liked this, but it was just a bit too dissonant for me on this listen.
Weird one, it's early free form jazz. Not really a huge fan of a casual listen to this, I feel like I'd have to be way more into music studies to really appreciate this.
Interesting experimental jazz. There's a lot to be heard with a great variety of instruments, including clarinet, many saxophones, and much more. The flamenco guitar that comes and goes was a fun surprise that kept the music interesting and provided a bit of genre blending. The final track pulls out all the stops with very bombastic orchestration that included many refrains and all the instruments. I truly enjoyed my first Mingus experience.
jazzy, but again, not my cup of tea, tho this would be a nice album to listen while at some jazzy bar or something
Jazz isn’t my thing but I feel it’s unfair to be harsh on it. The playing is really great I just don’t think it sounds good. Giving a three based mostly on the technicality. 3/5.
Behöver en ny lyssning
Thoughts before listening: I don't know Mingus' music very well, but this album definitely gets cited heavily as a classic on par with Kind of Blue, A Love Supreme, etc. As a general rule, I enjoy listening to jazz quite a bit, even if I don't necessarily have the ear to tell good jazz from bad jazz. What I have found is that focusing my jazz listening on the canonized classics is a always a good bet, so I am sure this will be outstanding. Review: Very avant-garde and experimental sounding. These songs flow all over the place with varying tempos and melodies. Sometimes its just a cacophony of noise. I certainly don't dislike this album, but I can't say I love it either. I can obviously hear that there is immense talent and orchestration on display with this album, but I do often find myself lost in the noise. I'll give this 3-stars.
I write this from the standpoint of a jazz admirer but not necessarily from the view of all the main jazz critics. I have grown to like some of Mingus's recordings in recent years but must confess to find this somewhat cacophonous and although he was innovating in the way jazz ensemble writing and arrangements were being done, it doesn't take away the fact that as a listening experience it delights less than I hoped it would. One of jazz's most divisive and important figures without doubt.
I don’t like jazz. I don’t understand it, and I don’t enjoy it. However, this album I did really rather enjoy. Maybe it’s because Mingus plays more of a background role on the rhythm section, as opposed to Coltrane or Davis firing off self-fellating fireworks at the front end and that appeals to me more, but it is comfortably the best jazz album I’ve heard.
Pretty neat
Very moody and atmospheric, kept the sound pretty interesting throughout.
Love Charles Mingus, but sometimes it’s too chaotic to really enjoy
Very, very jazzy
I like jazz but something about this just didn't really click with me
surprisingly schmaltzy for mingus
I’m not really a fan of jazz so it’s hard to rate this album but I appreciate it for what it is
started to sound like the same. jazz isnt for me. 2.5
7/10 - Like this a lot more than I thought I would Fav Tracks: Track C-Group Dancers Heard before? ---–- ❌ Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? --–-- ❌ Will Listen Again? -- ❌
Jazz is cool, but I don't understand it
3.5, id give a 4 but u dont like instrumentals
Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Completely unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? I’ve heard he’s good at jazz Favorite song(s)? I’m not sure if this question applies here because it was all kind of one song Overall Thoughts: This was a very listenable jazz album. I’m not a big jazz fan, so I’m never gonna love a jazz album but this one was fine.
One of the more digestible jazz. 3.4
Ik vind de jazzalbums in deze lijst eigenlijk niet zo leuk. Het is een beetje zoals dure wijn: ik vind dat mensen er veel te stoer mee doen. Het lukt mij niet zo goed om de hele goede van de slechte te onderscheiden omdat ik er niet genoeg van weet. Het interesseert mij niet genoeg. Bij Jazz word ik vaak afgeleid en lukt het mij niet goed om naar de muziek te luisteren. Ik ben net zoals bij goede wijn ook altijd bang dat ik er per ongeluk iets doms over zeg wat niet blijkt te kloppen. Hmm deze goedkope jazz van het huis vind ik heel erg goed! Ik proef muzieknoten van cashew. Doe mij dan maar een lekker verkoelend biertje gemaakt van gerst en pop. Oja nog iets over dit album: ik vond de trompet wel leuk.
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus is one of those jazz albums that critics often hail as a masterpiece, but for me it lands squarely in "perfectly fine" territory. It's a dense, ambitious work, part suite, part extended composition, with Mingus's signature blend of gospel, blues, and avant-garde swing. The ensemble playing is tight, the arrangements are complex, and there's real emotional weight behind the horns and rhythms. That said, it never quite grabbed me on a visceral level. The music feels more like a technical achievement than something I'd reach for when I want to feel jazz. The pieces flow into each other, but they don't leave a strong individual imprint. It's respectable, well-crafted jazz... and that's about it. 6/10
once again wishing i can give .5 stars case this is a solid 3.5 im sure some people love it but me and jazz just aren’t friends
geht so
Pas l'album de jazz que j'ai le plus apprécié, Je n'ai pas été entrainé par celui-là, même si des moments sont sympas et tranquilles, d'autres sont plus 'brouillon' (même si c'est du jazz) et c'était un peu plus dur à écouter
We listened to this walking through Eastway on a very beautiful but very hot(!) afternoon in April. You fell fast asleep. It didn't exactly match the vibe of a Spring afternoon stroll, but it definitely got Pickett jazzed up. He ran right into the mudpit creek and his paws turned from white to jet black. He was (and still is this evening) a mess! This is clearly a work of art, but I am too much of a pleb to appreciate it for what it is. I will probably have to revisit when I mature, but it is a good thing you got your first listen under your belt.
джазус он и есть джазус
It’s aight. I gave it three stars out of deference to the art of jazz. And the musicianship is as always amazing. But the shapes they create are a little more 50s than 60s for my taste. I didn’t t love the flamenco guitar. Still, guys like Mingus are pioneers and always kick ass.
Day 16 The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus I was making chili con carne while listening to this, and it actually fit the mood perfectly. It’s short, dreamy, and works really well as background jazz. I don’t know a lot about jazz, I just know I enjoy it in the right setting, and this definitely hit that kind of vibe. It’s very pleasant and easy to get lost in, but at the same time it didn’t fully grab me as a top-tier jazz record. I can’t really point to one specific thing that holds it back, it just didn’t hit me the same way some other jazz albums have. That said, I did enjoy it. It’s one of those albums that feels more like a mood than something you actively focus on. Wine pairing? Something earthy and a bit complex like a Syrah. It matches the slightly darker, layered feel of the album. Food pairing? Chili con carne, obviously. Perfect match. Favourite song? “Track A – Solo Dancer” Vinyl? No. Dont want it. First listen? Yes. Overall 3 out of 5
Not the biggest fan of Jazz unfortunately still good
I did enjoy several passages of this album, but not enough to give it 4 stars
5/10
Álbum para un te en día de lluvia
As a total jazz idiot, it's hard for me to rate any of the jazz Greats. That said, I was very entertained by this and I doubly appreciate the bits of classical guitar
really beautiful
Excellent instrumental album
Restaurant music. Not a big fan
Charles Mingus sounds like a speed addict roaming the streets of New York.
Symphonie d’instruments, parties mélodiques et d’autres plus free, parfois un peu difficile à aborder.
I’m not a huge fan of this genre, but this was chill background music.
Good background music . 2.5. Getting tired of jazz albums
3.5
3 stars I’ve come to the determination that I start every jazz album as a 3. As I listen if I get less interested it becomes a 2, more interesting a 4. But I end up giving most of them a 3 because I don’t know what I’m listening for. This one was a little wild, the horns were raging. I enjoyed it. Maybe I’d try it again. Maybe it’s worthy of more than 3. But that’s what I landed on.
Pretty good jazz. Idk if it was anything notable though
6.5/10
Good
Diria que es mi primer acercamiento a escuchar un disco completo de jazz, una muy buena experiencia, honestamente disfrutable.
It was fine wacky jazz
Nor a huge jazz fan
I’m starting to like jazz. But I don’t know what makes it good or not yet. I like this album pretty well but it’s a long listen.
This is a jazz fusion album. Jazz fusion is a kind of chaotic form of jam session that can go one of three ways: it can fade into the background (in a not unpleasant way) but one that is indirect. It can befuddle and become sometimes unsettling because there is no pattern or rhyme to it. OR, it can delight and be taken in in a purely emotional way. I typically am in that middle category while trying to slip into the first category, but it is too jarring for me to remain background for long, and too unpredictable for me to just relax and enjoy it. Yet I DO love jazz in-itself. So I don't hate on it at any point, just struggle to remain "in it" for any length of time while it rummages around in different conversations all at once.
Fav- track B 3/5
Enjoyable
jazz und klassisch, zwischendurch ganz cool aber einfach nicht meins
ja
The harsh dissonance, particularly in Track A, is something that takes some time to grow on you. I'm not a jazz fan, but I enjoyed the unpredictable nature of this album. You never know what's coming next and it takes you on some wild rides (it also starts and ends with rhythmic farting).
Someone more into instrumental music and jazz type stuff would probably call this the epitome of something. But for me it’s just kind of eh. Nice background noise but nothing I’m going out of my way to listen to again.
Yes, it s interessant!*
23/03/2026 This didn't blow me away, it was just fine. Talented, but fine. Spotify listeners: 505.1k
Great flamenco guitar in Mode D. Appreciate the ambition. Appreciate that he wrote a jazz ballet. Just not memorable and probably too experimental for my taste in jazz.
Ah, my first Mingus. You know, listening through a lot of these jazz albums on this list is starting to bring me around. I actually really really dug this. This album feels alive and has a soul. All the instruments were lively, the tempos were unpredictable and change often, and the mood felt good throughout the listen. The runtime is very manageable too, making the album pretty approachable for an outsider. Overall, it's not the kind of thing I listen to regularly, but I enjoyed the experience. It's a strong 3/5 for me, I wouldn't complain if I had to listen to some more.
I think parts of this incredibly beautiful--the trumpets on track b, the spanish guitar on track c, the piano in tracks b &c... I think I'm losing the through-line a little bit when it comes to the more chaotic bits. I like that the medley has bits of the previous tracks included and interspersed. i love the drums on the medley. done! I enjoyed this a lot, I don't think I have the familiarity with jazz to fully appreciate the nuances, but I really enjoyed it
I’m not the type of person who is going to get much out of or enjoy these jazz/instrumental albums alone. A ballet/movie/choreography along with it would entice me to care, but on its own this isn’t my type of listening. I do feel I recognized some bits and pieces, possibly referenced in other works, and I have no doubts on its influence during the time it was created and since, but that’s about the best I can do.
Something almost conversational about most of Track B, between the...instrument and the...other instrument. Found this one a bit more interesting than some of the other jazz ones we've had. Points for sick album cover too
I feel like I should be smoking and drinking whiskey
Good but the whole two different songs played over each other gives me anxiety
During my senior year of college I took a music history class that focused on jazz. I guess I needed some sort of arts credit or something? But we just listened to and talked about jazz for the entire semester. It was an awesome class even though I knew nothing about jazz. I never just listen to jazz, but I did distinctly remember walking around campus with an old iPod loaded with jazz I downloaded from Kazaa. We probably talked about Charles Mingus, the name sounds familiar.
Não consegui escutar com a atenção merecida, então dou nota default por isso. (Voltar depois)
As far as jazz goes this was great.
A little too free jazz for me at times but at times it sounded pretty good. 2.5
Great songs, great vibe, great album
джаз мне очень понравился, но единственное, мне больше нравится музыка со словами, при этом было довольно интересно
Even if not a big fan of a jazz, it was very interesting for me to listen to this record. Sounded like some kind of an experimental branch of jazz, gradually developing its complexity from song 1 to song 4. Cool classic guitar parts though
Very cool sounding jazz album. I’d need to listen a lot more to really get it, I think. But I liked it!
Enjoyed the spanish influenced parts, at other parts i felt it dragged. Jazz isn’t a favorite but overall enjoyable to work to.
Ich glaube, das ist richtig gut. Sitze aber eher staunend davor, als dass ich wirklich Spaß daran hätte.
No standouts
I'm weird about my jazz. I like it with vocals, or if it doesn't have that, it needs to be up! beat! all! the! time! like a good Dixieland jazz. The meandering instrumental jazz isn't for me. I get the importance, but I don't enjoy the experience.
Quite a humorous commute album. I like it - it’s stylish and has some swagger about it. Listened twice and the second time around I properly enjoyed it, particularly Track B and C. Still fairly hard work though and not a go-to like other Mingus albums I think.
I like Jazz but there are only so many times I can snigger at musical instruments making fart noises.
Harsh to have to get to grips with this in just 24 hours. For sure, there are some fabulous solos and motifs. But these are often connected by bridging pieces that are difficult at first listen. It's definitely getting more spins though and if it's even half as good as Mingus Ah Um it's going to be a grower. But rules is rules and until then it has to be given a cautious 3*.
Not a bad album but a bit harder in my opinion to get into compared to some of the other jazz albums I’ve listened to so far. Does not take away the skill of the musicians involved but it was not as much as sit back and relax listening experience.
Dnf
A very interesting jazz album, a bit too chaotic and grating at times but was still good and I feel like the jazz heads go crazy for it
I'm sure this is excellent but it's not my kind of music.
It's not something I enjoy, but it's something I can appreciate.
I really still am not qualified to pass judgment on jazz. This has a bunch of energy! I think it is cool. I cannot play this for 99% of my friends.
Conceptually this album is incredible! I can really feel how each song is a different set of dancers. The horns are fantastic. I loved the Flamenco guitar element in Track C. Overall, it’s a bit chaotic for my liking (as is much jazz). If I want to listen to a jazz album it will definitely be one I would go to again.
Добре
It was fine but my ignorance of jazz means I have no sense of how influential it is as an album.
mostly well done, but took me to anxiety town sometimes
3/5 Incredibly overwhelming at times, but it was a pretty good album regardless. Not enough for me to give it four stars though. Sometimes it felt like they just threw shit at the wall and hoped it'd stick.
The fact that this is widely considered one of the greatest jazz albums of all time is proof that I don’t really understand jazz music.
Fun jazzy album
Good to hear Mingus again, so vibrant, good to listen to whilst walking the dog.
fun to dance to! cool concept, tracks are very long, jazzy feeling on track
A bit chaotic for casual listening. It would be interesting to find a video of a staging of the ballet, if one exists. This must have influenced Carla Bley.
Crazy jazz
I don't know, I like it I guess? It's fine jazz, but it was just sorta nothing. I didn't get the same sort of feeling from this album as I did from other jazz albums, so maybe this style of jazz isn't for me. Still, it has some moments, but those are mostly bogged down by either repetition or just general disinterest in the piece. A shame too, since I had high hopes for this album. 6/10
7/10 - short but sweet jazz album
3.5
First track kinda sucked and the rest of the tracks were somewhat incoherent and abrasive. This is expected of experimental jazz, but Mingus’ composition is somewhat more harmonious than I expected. Some real toe-tapping sections.
Purely as a first listening experience, I found it too hectic and discordant to be truly enjoyable overall. I liked the piano and Spanish guitar and appreciated the avant-garde-ness in small doses. Reading reviews after, I see it’s lauded as a brilliant composition and performance and that it was conceived as a ballet. I have to stay true to my own experience and give one of the greatest jazz records of all time…a 3.
Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #16. I am a total philistine when it comes to jazz. The depths of my jazz knowledge extend to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, which is probably the equivalent of someone only knowing Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley. I don’t even know if that’s a good comparison, but that’s the level we’re at. It’s hard to review an album like this after one listen in one day. I usually listen to these albums first thing in the morning, but today I ended up listening to this while on a nighttime expedition to buy frozen broccoli. It turns out that might have been the perfect way to hear it. I like the dark tone and atmosphere. I really like how the whole album sounds. It’s sinister. My jazz terminology is poor, so I don’t really know how to describe individual parts, but I loved how the first track moves from sinister to sultry to freaky in a really subtle, smooth way. The second track felt pure cinematic. There’s also this weird bit where a trumpet sounds like a voice, I thought that was cool. The third track has an incredible piano opening. I don’t know if this album has been sampled to death by hip hop, but that section feels ripe for it. I started to lose a bit of patience on the fourth track, but I liked how it kept bringing back the main motif over and over again, and almost every time it returned it sounded uglier. That was really interesting. There are loads of moments that keep you on your toes, stabbing percussive tuba, random injections of flamenco style guitar, just strange choices that somehow work. The sound of the album and how cohesive it is is genuinely impressive. Why three stars? I feel like this might grow on me, and I’ll try as the list goes on. I am looking forward to more jazz. But as a genre, it often leaves me cold. It doesn’t really convey an emotional message to me in a clear way. When everything goes chaotic and mental, drums flying, saxophones and woodwind shrieking and billowing, I’m not always sure how I’m supposed to feel. I tend to feel very little. I prefer the quieter sections, they feel more meaningful to me. Maybe I’m just not smart enough for it. I’m sure this album is incredibly well thought out and composed, and I’m sure there’s meaning there, I just don’t connect with it yet. Maybe with repeat listens it’ll click, and maybe I’ll grow into jazz more as this list continues. For now, it’s a three star.
I enjoyed this but seemed to be a high entry point for enjoyment, was probably a bit experimental/avant-garde for many listeners.
This must bridge big band and typical jazz. I’m just not educated enough to really appreciate this.
Jazz jazzy, chill vibe was great for what I know about jazz (nothing)
Clearly excellent musicians, but my ear is not trained for Jazz. This deserves more careful attention while listening than I was able to give it today. Will revisit when I can attend more closely.
There is some awesome stuff in here and the chaos of it all is engaging. Instruments and sounds flying all over the place and into each other, but it's controlled chaos. That being said, the spontaneity of it was a little much for me, but cool record
I respect the craft but it's not my thing
Jazz vom feinsten
Never heard of Charles Mingus. Yay jazz. Being a bit of a numpty, I have no idea.what makes good jazz good. But this is definitely not bad jazz. Group Dancers is my pick.
Saved? ❌ Would listen again? ❌ Would recommend to anyone? ❌ Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔
Some great instrumentals on this track. This is experimental jazz, and it’s not shy to let you know it either. The horns are loud and obnoxious at times, the music not letting you settle for one second before moving on to the next idea. It’s genius, but at the end you are left a bit overwhelmed by it all and your head hurts a bit. I think I prefer more laid back jazz… 5.5/10
I don't have a sophisticated palette for jazz, but I liked a lot of this album. I liked how it slid from orchestral, big band, flamenco guitar, and jazzy elements. Sometimes the sounds blended into a cacophony that sounded very much like noise. That was the point. Often times, I rate these albums by how much I enjoyed the listening experience, and I think about how much I would want to listen again. I would like to think I'd give this one a listen again.
Jazz album. Not much to say about it. Don't hate it, don't like it necessarily. It sounds nice, but not my cup of tea. 6 / 10
More interesting to listen to then I expected. I especially liked the film noir vibe of the first song.
Interesting breaks and switches during the pieces
This feels like a pretty unique album. You can hear the classical music influences and improvisational style really turn it into something new. I also think having the band leader on double bass adds an interesting element. However as whole, this album specifically didn't capture me the same as some other Jazz releases of the same era.
It was ok. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t listen again
The skill here is undeniable.It's the kind of thing you hear and think yeah, they're on another level. But I'm a live jazz person. I want the loose energy and stuff that only happens in the moment. Every note feels placed exactly where they wanted it, and while that's cool, it takes away the thing I love most about jazz which is the spontaneity. Respect the craft and skill, just prefer to be able to watch the musicians figure it out together in person. That's on me, I get it, I just prefer my jazz live and messy.
man idk what to rate this album. It would be cool listening to this in a mansion but im not in a mansion. it has to go somewhere in between 3 and 4.
There may come a day when I will appreciate albums like this to their full potential. Today it's not that day
A bit cacophonous at times. But what is jazz without a little cacophony?
Pretty nice jazz album from the 60's, didn't blow me away but enjoyed the vibe. can imagine it would have been amazing in a jazz bar somewhere.
Pretty cool but not my favorite Mingus album
5/10
One of the stranger jazz compositions I've heard. I wouldn't call this "standard" by any means. It's almost haunting and a tad uneasy, really. Plus an unexpected Flamenco twist in track C.
I am vaguely aware of Charles Mingus as I was a bass player in a jazz band. I can't say I ever really did a deep dive into him. The album was a bit more out there than I prefer but hey that's jazz baby. I like the use of tuba as I think it is an underrated jazz instrument and I am also biased as I played tuba before I picked up the bass.
doido hein
Jazzy!
OHHH I DUNNO MAN - I’m only vaguely fluent in jazz, so this one still feels like it has a bit of a velvet-rope barrier to entry. BUT when this baby locks into a groove, it’s genuinely gorgeous and I’m happily along for the ride. Then it gets a little elaborate and widdly - like it’s showing off in a cardigan (eyebrowz) and I’m reminded my heart still lives in land of aggressive guitars.
Specialised taste and I know people venerate him - but to me it sounded like heavy traffic in New York
Enjoyed the jazz
Not sure how to rate. I feel like its one of those things that just grows on you. But i adore jazz so cannot give it less than a 3.
There is better jazz. I’m sorry. 3/5
It was ok. Generally enjoyed it and good background while working.
I really enjoyed listening to this yesterday, and then listened again today and enjoyed it less so. Maybe I need the background of a kitchen to bring it to life
This felt like the jazz equivalent of The Fall for me. I'm glad I've heard it, I like to know that people are pushing aginst the boundaries of a form and being genuinely experimental, but it's absolutely not the kind of thing I would listen to normally. Without a strong interest in avant-garde jazz, it's hard not to find that bits of this sound like cats fighting in a bag.
I need more jazz in my life, and certainly more Mingus.
Listen I probably like Jazz more than the next person, but I'm not a big fan seeking it out. This is fine, incredible musicianship as what you should probably expect on a Jazz album. You can throw it on in the background but sometimes you'll get caught with the avante garde parts and your equilibrium trips for a second.
Very nice time listening to this. It’s always weird rating albums when some of them are like this, like what about “bitches brew” how would I rate an album like that on 1-5 and compare it to the rest? Maybe by the time that album (hope it’s here) comes up, I’ll know how to better differentiate artists.
I really shouldn’t even be allowed to rate jazz because I don’t get jazz. It’s good I think?
Bit much really - I'm just not that into Jazz - four ten minute 'prog' jazz tracks is beyond my limit. It feels like it is an important part of music history but I won't be listening again.
Holy hell this was stressful. I like jazz (we have covered this in previous reviews) but this jazz needs some boundaries
Jazzier than jazzberry jam.
Eu boto muita fé que isso é bom. Mas foi bad timing demais cair numa segunda feira de 30 graus do interior paulista. Escutei a primeira música, skipei e não voltei mais. Nota 3 p passar de ano e por respeito ao Sr. Mingus.
39 minutos tentando derrotar o boss do Cuphead
wait so this wasn’t just the score to whiplash?
I just don’t really get it.
great, just not super my style ya know? jazzy to listen to in a dark room at night; 3 stars just because i probably won't go back to it?
truly don't know how to listen to jazz...sounded ok
jazzy
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
Very technically impressive but I felt nothing. Almost felt too much like showing off.
A harsh 3, possibly 4 on another listen
I personality like jazz, and the instrumentals are actually very nice. This album is good background music.
Very jazzy
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.
Smooth Jazz, background music, not my face genre but good
I don’t usually listen to jazz, and this album won’t change that habit. It’s just not for me.
This is a fine jazz album, but I felt it was pretty short and could have had more to it.
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
Fine jazz, nothing wrong. Good as an introductary album to jazz imo. Nothing standoutish to me.
Ya that's some mellow jazz. Nothing offensive and nothing too boppy.
Points for being very talented, I just didn't care for the songs that much.
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.
Bra ändå! Svår jazz, kul att lyssna på men kanske inte nått som jag kommer lyssna på så ofta igen :)
l’ordine dei titoli!
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.
Loved!! It was a great story that was told through amazing instruments. Great background house music.
Ambitious, complex. Loved the jazz tuba/contrabass trombone Not easy listening. Probably not going to return to it, but glad to have heard it
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.
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 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
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.
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
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
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
Of a particular vibe. Good for relaxing after a party!
Would have been 2 stars but I like this guys name
It's alright.
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.
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.
How can you vote against Mingus!
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.
It was fine, though I'm not a huge jazz fan. But nothing egregious on here.
It was ok
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.
not bad.
Bass playing brotha man
-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
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!
It's an experimental interesting album, but I found it very hard to deal with
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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 !
3.5
3.0
Das war zu anstrengend
Jazz
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.
jazzguy_nice.gif
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.
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.
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 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
easy listening music, I love the elements of i guess double base that remind me of hearing music live in switzerland and also add such emotion to the music.
I do not have the jazz sophistication to make an informed comment. It sounds like a very hot humid day in the south where everything you want is a cold lemonade. I give it three cause I don’t know.
This is jazz. This is quite random and sporadic jazz. This is jazz I couldn't work out if I enjoyed it or not. There was a lot to respect, but a lot to challenge. It felt like Mingus decided that he wanted to challenge his listeners, but also write some cool music (quite a big step in the early 60s!). 3 Stars.
It’s nice background music, I don’t fully get it tbh
There were a few songs I really loved, but most of it was not my style.
I have mixed feelings about this album. There are some very beautiful parts but also some very messy saxophone sounds that turn the music into cacophony. 3/5
Not exactly catchy but the chaos makes it interesting.
60s Jazz-Ballet. Looks cool, sounds cool. Bit more experimental or atonal than I like them. Smooth as velvet.
Jazzy
Ah, jazz. I hoped this was going to be that kind of smooth jazz I can handle while doing work. Alabama 3 slightly sold me a lie on that. It was that in parts. Other parts were certainly quite interesting and novel. Other bits were annoying jazz. Can see why Mingus is so respected but too jazzy for me.
second time listening, still hasn't totally clicked but fascinating to listen to. not my style of jazz but mesmerizing and dynamic all the way
He's no Roy Donk but he was on the Colgate Hour
Track A - mega cool Track B - sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher is telling him off Track C - I'm in New York and it's night time. It's raining and the roads are bright with reflected light. Down these mean streets we must go. Track D - wtf? Who invited the flamenco dancer? I'm getting Police Squad vibes. A curate's egg.
Jazz EXTREMAMENTE experimental, com mistura de estilos. Disco curto com faixas longas. Exige um pouco de paciência para apreciá-lo. Na primeira ouvida me cansou um pouco.
Malheureusement c’est vraiment pas mon style mais pourtant je reconnais la qualité
this is not the easiest listen for someone who don’t love jazz. i enjoy piano based jazz without much else in it but yeah, this is quite chaotic feeling at times but can tell it’s of great quality. 3.5/5
I give it a three, but it is a high 3 stars - Great Jazz Album!
I liked it!
Cool Jazz album. Not sure I will listen again. 5.7/10
The second I put this on, my cat got so stressed he started freaking out. I guess he really hated this album but I liked it well enough :)
I never know what to do with jazz. Its full of masterpiece moments and then it fades out to acceptable and back and forth. Im always amazed by what the players so off the cuff but im not musically inclined enough to fully grasp how and why they do what they do. This was pretty good all that considered. I thought mingus was a piano guy but I hear he's a bass man. And I respect that. Those guys are always my favorite to be honest. Just the cool collected background who you dont think of much but if they wrent there you would know immediately. The performances that stand out are the Spanish guitar and the sax and piano. Lots of very great moments with each. I had a good time and even saved a piece which I wasn't expecting.
mingus
eh
Good background music but it did not stand out vs. Davis, Brubeck, Coltrane et al.
Mingus and his crew swing hard w complicated rhythms, extended solos, and some cacophony. It’s righteous - but sometimes hard to listen to.
Kinda felt like one of those dreams you have after 3 shots of NyQuil and a 102° fever
Good
Any time I listen to legendary jazz, it always evokes cinematic images of big cities bustling with movement and life. Jazz is organic. It didn’t really hit well enough, however, to keep my attention while driving down semi-rural roads. I also don’t think that jazz is ever going to soothe/heal me in the way that lyric-based music does.
Off the cuff remark: it pains me to say it but Mingus always has me thinking that my tastes in jazz are very conservative. There is no doubt about the technical ability and invention, but for most music these are not two elements which necessarily impress me. The occasional dischordant element or repeated phrase sometimes makes for a challenging listen. At times I get it and at times it just gets on my nerves. Standout track: Track B Duete Solo Dancers, perhaps Revisit?: I already have a couple of Mingus albums in my collection and I don't think I will be adding this.
Too busy, but with some nice moments here and there. Fun listen but not in the musical top.
If you enjoy jazz you will dig this album. I like some of it, parts of the third track missed me, then it brought me back. The first two songs had me looking more of his stuff up. I enjoyed it.
That’s some jazzy jazz but it’s mostly noise to me. Not my thang but I can appreciate the talent it takes to make this noise
Relaxing.
Reading other reviews, people either love this album or hate it. I personally enjoyed the chaotic nature and mixture of different parts of each song. I can understand how it’s not to everyone’s liking but would not call it bad.
normal and explosive
This is widely different. So cool for 1963. I found I could just have it on and enjoy it while doing other things, or I could focus on it completely and hear the little nuances
This is some sexy jazz. I felt like I was a detective in a noir film while listening to this, chasing down that bird who keeps showing up at suspicious times. She's lousy with good looks and she knows it, but she's trouble, probably a running a con. She could get me behind the eight ball. But maybe my life needs a bit of trouble. Maybe my day in, day out at the Club house has ol Nickky two shoes square as a bank man's pocket kerchief. I should take the twist for the two bits she's worth and turn her up. But I'm starting to think I'm dizzy with the dame. Any fella knows you can't turn a choppy into a moll without heartbreak. My pumps been through tough times already.
Just like the other Charles Mingus album I've listened to(as well as any Jazz music), it's fine for background music, but it should stay as just that. Favorite Track: "Mode D – Trio and Group Dancers; Mode E – Single Solos and Group Dance; Mode F – Group and Solo Dance"
I realize I was very harsh on the last jazz album I listened to and I had nothing to say. My goal here is to change that I'm not jazz expert. I don't listen to jazz. I don't like jazz and I know that I didn't appreciate this album for what it is. I had a hard time listening to this. I didn't dislike anything about the album. I just had a hard time concentrating on the music. Maybe that's why people like jazz, it allows your mind to wander. It maybe I'm looking too deep. I listened to the first 3 tracks together and the last one by itself. It was background music while I drive to meet up with a friend and then back home. On the final track, I saw some parallels to mariachi. I think it might have been the trumpets. No, I don't listen to mariachi, but it made me wonder if Mingus might have had Latin influences, or vice versa. At the end of the day, the only thing I can rate an album like this on is subjective. While I have no doubt a lot of talent went into its production (I noted the instrumentalists seemed to know what they were doing, at least on an individual album), I'm not listening to this again.
Honestly kind of liked it. Do know much jazz but this was sweet. Chaotic.
I really don't know enough about jazz to fully comprehend this album. I really like when the trumpets go wah wah. I can clearly see some interesting choices like the acoustic guitar on track 3. Could grow on me with further Jazz education 3/5
good but...an example of why some jazz is just too far out for me
Jazz
Pleasant for background music.
Really wanted to like it more that I did. It was ok
Great
Nice
i wish i had a brain big enough to fully comprehend this
I’d give this 3.5 if I could. I enjoyed it
very nice jazz. long long songs
You like Jazz? Pretty good album. Lots of exciting beats, sounds and styles. Good listen. I'm just not in jazz that much
not my fave jazz
Favorite songs: Track B - Duete Solo Dancers, Track A - Solo Dancer Least favorite songs: Medley: Mode D - Trio and Group Dancers/ Mode E - Single Solos and Group Dance/Mode F - Group and Solo Dance 3/5
I love Mingus, but this is a challenging listen.
Complex layered melodies, fun to listen to the big band sound but not quite my vibe. Great album but probably wouldn’t listen again.
It wasn’t bad. I didn’t think that I would like it
I liked it. I was surprised because it's jazz, but I think that I like dark jazz or something like that. I could hear the whole album and happily drive through the city listening to it.
Fun, weird, a lot, interesting, classic, but not gonna relisten to it. Album cover is legit sick as hell. THREE!
Gotta be in the mood for it but then I dig me some Mingus
3/5 good jazz
Seguramente será disfrutable en un club con un whisky y un cigarro; pero, en casa, el jazz no parece para mí
Mad music, not really my scene of jazz and overall I felt quite stressed listening to it. Maybe that’s the point. L.A Noire chase scene, reminded me of the betrayal I felt in that game. 3.0/5
not easy but gooood