• MASTERWORKS COLORED SERIES
• LIMITED EDITION
• INCLUDES 1 BONUS TRACKS
 
"1959 was a near-miraculous year for jazz. It would be redundant to number all the classic albums made or released over thatextraordinary twelve months, some of thoserecords included in this Masterworks series, but Mingus Ah Um stands out strongly. Unlike some of the recordings that appeared that year, it is in no way “avant-garde”. On the contrary, it stands squarely in the great lineage of jazz, but not in a monumental way. It calls up the past in order to address a troubled present. And far from being a period piece, it has never seemed more relevant than now." - Penguin Guide to Jazz
"Recorded in May of 1959, Mingus Ah Um is one of the most successful LPs by the charismatic leader. On “Self-Portrait in Three Colors”, Mingus’ celebrated “workshop” effectively brings out all the nuances ofhis music thanks to arrangements of fluid beauty with moiré reflections. Recorded over 60 years ago at a New York studio under producer Teo Macero’s supervision, Mingus Ah Um gives ample proof that Mingus’ jazz conception escaped all codes and stereotypes, without losing its essential qualities of swing and melody. "- Jazz Magazine
 
PERSONNEL:
Charles Mingus- bass & leader
Jimmy Knepper - trombone (on A1 & Side B)
Willie Dennis - trombone (on A2-A5)
Booker Ervin - tenor sax
Curtis Porter - (aka Shafi Hadi) - alto & tenor sax
John Handy - alto & tenor sax, clarinet
Horace Parlan - piano
Dannie Richmond - drums
New York, May 5 (A1 & Side B) & May 12 (A2-A5), 1959.
(*) BONUS TRACK:
Charles Mingus (b); Jimmy Knepper (tb); Don Ellis (tp); Booker Ervin (ts); John Handy (as); Maurice Brown, Seymour Barab (cello); Roland Hanna (p); Dannie Richmond (d).
New York, November 13, 1959.
 
SIDE A
01 BETTER GIT IT IN YOUR SOUL
02 GOODBYE PORK PIE HAT
03 BOOGIE STOP SHUFFLE
04 SELF-PORTRAIT IN THREE COLORS
05 OPEN LETTER TO DUKE
06 PUT ME IN THAT DUNGEON (*)
 
SIDE B:
01 BIRD CALLS
02 FABLES OF FAUBUS
03 PUSSY CAT DUES
04 JELLY ROLL