Among the many recordings by Charles Mingus released recently in celebration of his centenary, Mingus Three stands out. Remastered and reissued by Rhino/Parlophone on multiple formats, the album (also known as Trio) was originally recorded on July 9, 1957 and features bassist Mingus, pianist Hampton Hawes and drummer Dannie Richmond. If you've long wanted to know why Mingus is so revered and important, this album is a great place to start. [Photo above of Charles Mingus]
Mingus squeezed in the rare trio album for Jubilee between two of his major albums, The Clown (February and March 1957) and Tijuana Moods (July-August 1957). Jubilee was founded in New York in 1946 and holds the distinction of being the first independent label to reach the white charts with a Black vocal group's hit in 1953—the Orioles' Crying in the Chapel. A trio format in the late 1950s was unusual for Mingus, who typically led quintets then and larger ensembles.
As a result, on the reissue of Mingus Three, we are given a chance to hear his booming bass front and center, with Hawes, one of the most assertive and exciting West Coast bop pianists, and drummer Dannie Richmond, who played in Mingus's Jazz Workshop ensemble. In many ways, Mingus Three is really a duet album—a bull-and-matador symbiosis between Mingus and Hawes, with Richmond on the sidelines whisking along.
In the original album's liner notes, Nat Hentoff wrote:
This trio session is considerably different from most trio dates. Two strong personalities are present in Mingus and Hawes, and although there is an overall feeling of fusion, of tempered rapport, this as much as dialogue between Mingus and Hawes with punctuation from Richmond as it is a group expression. Mingus and Hawes are contrasting spirits, musically and off the stand.
The songs are a compelling mix of blues and standards. The album opens with Yesterdays and continues with Mingus's Back Home Blues, the standard I Can't Get Started, Hawes's catchy Hamp's New Blues, a provocative Summertime, Mingus's brooding Dizzy Moods and the film theme Laura. What makes this re-issue from Rhino notable are eight previously unreleased tracks: two takes of Untitled Blues, which didn't make the original cut in 1957; alternate takes of Hamp's New Blues, I Can't Get Started, Dizzy Moods and Summertime; and incomplete takes of Back Home Blues and Yesterdays.
In addition to being an inventive and a folk-centric composer in the Ellington mold, Mingus played bass with an enormous sound that was both authoritative and conversational, perhaps the first bassist to project and codify these qualities on the instrument. Hawes was a brash player with bluesy emotionalism and pouncing dexterity. Richmond was the bonding agent between them. If you're new to Mingus and Hawes, my guess is you're going to start collecting both artists after listening to this album, a perfect entry point. [Photo above of Hampton Hawes]
Charles Mingus died in 1979, Hampton Hawes in 1977 and Dannie Richmond in 1988. [Photo above of Danny Richmond by Francis Wolf (c)Mosaic Images]
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Charles Mingus's Trio, also known as Mingus Three, (Rhino/Parlophone) on multiple formats here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Dizzy Moods...
And here's I Can't Get Started...
