Bassist
Charles Mingus is back in the limelight. Mosaic and Rhino have recently issued nice sets, with Mosaic finally putting out his late '50s Columbia material in the fashion in which it was originally recorded. This concert date featured one of
Mingus' greatest bands; it had two saxophonists in
Eric Dolphy and
Clifford Jordan, plus pianist
Jaki Byard and drummer
Dannie Richmond.
Mingus created expansive, works-in-progress compositions, letting his band react, interact, develop, tear apart and reconstruct his music.
Dolphy and Jordan played intense, animated, surging solos, and
Dolphy's furious alto sax and bass clarinet are contrasted by an evocative lyricism on flute. The sound quality is great and the performances unforgettable.