Charles Mingus recorded many superb albums, but his personal favorite was
Tijuana Moods, which was inspired by a visit to the Mexican border town. His sole release for RCA Victor, the original record's five tracks were not recorded as complete takes, but spliced together afterward, though the finished product didn't see the light of day for nearly five years. Since then it was reissued in 1986 in a two-disc set with an alternate composite done after
Mingus' death and adding one unissued track (" A Colloquial Dream [Scenes in the City]"), while a 2001 reissue added a number of fragmentary takes as well. This reissue, with new liner notes by
Nat Hentoff, while retaining the original notes by Martin Williams, eliminates all the added material except for the one bonus track. It's debatable whether this is
Charles Mingus' best overall recording, though it should easily be considered one of his top efforts. The cast includes veteran trombonist
Jimmy Knepper and drummer
Dannie Richmond (who became a regular in the bassist's various groups), along with promising but obscure musicians including pianist
Bill Triglia, saxophonist
Shafi Hadi (formerly
Curtis Porter), and trumpeter
Clarence Gene Shaw. Highlights include the exciting "Ysabel's Table Dance" and the haunting treatment of the standard "Flamingo," featuring
Shaw on muted trumpet and
Knepper. ~ Ken Dryden