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.
MetalheadClub reviews
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.
Did not listen