buffyleigh
4
I know better other more accessible albums from Mingus, but this one is really great. Totally crazy. It's full of the things I love in other genres of music: full of contrasts, dissonance, experimentation, and just enough melodies to keep you afloat.
The extraordinary musicianship on this can’t be denied but it has to be tempered by knowing that Mingus was a angry man, prone to violent outbursts. He once punched a fellow musician in the face so hard it permanently damaged their ability to play the trombone. His anger is reflected in the music here - aggressive hard bop with diversions into blues and classical guitar. Apparently this was originally written as a ballet which is something that I want to see.