Teo Macero worked as a saxophonist with
Charles Mingus off and on from the late 1940s through the mid-'50s, and also produced some of his later records. This obscure Palo Alto LP, recorded shortly after
Mingus' death, was
Macero's first recording as a player (tenor, alto and flute) since 1957, although on most of the selections, his role as a musician is small. However,
Macero was responsible for the eight selections which include tributes to
Mingus,
Thelonious Monk ("Monk's Funk") and
Duke Ellington. The music is sometimes reminiscent of
Mingus, particularly in his early, more classical-oriented days, and the notable personnel includes saxophonists
Dave Liebman,
Pepper Adams,
John Stubblefield,
Al Cohn, and
Lee Konitz, trumpeters
Jon Faddis and
Ted Curson, flutist
Dave Valentin, guitarist
Ryo Kawasaki, and keyboardists
Biff Hannon and
Mike Nock, among many others. This will be a difficult album to find.