Mercury Records Collection: SR-60627: Pre-Bird

SR-60627: Pre-Bird / Charlie Mingus

Label Type :	black Mercury type C
Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	SR 60627-A-MS1 FF
	SIDE-B	SR 60627-B-MS1 FF

Comments

Equivalent release: Mercury MG-20627 (mono).

A few years later, this album was reissued as Limelight LM-82015 (mono) / LS-86015 (stereo).

A beautiful 1st press in true perfect “Mint” condition.

Inside The Groove

An awesome big-band sound by Charles Mingus and his pals.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

A famous but rare big-band recordings in his middle period (he prefered to play in combo in the late 1950s - 1960s). It includes too black hot version of famous Ellington's tunes: Take The “A” Train, and Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me. But above of all, it's nice to hear Mingus' own tunes, most of which was originally written in the 1940s.

Such members as Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Yusef Lateef, Clark Terry blows too hot, get swingin' together into a true Mingus' sound colours. Among them, Eric Dolphy (who joined Mingus' group in March 1960) plays very emotional alto saxophone which becomes one of the highlights. Very impressive rendition of energic and collective performance.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

10 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-A
A-1	PB3442 (20104)	Take The “A” Train (Billy Strayhorn)	3:34
A-2	PB3439 (20101)	Prayer For Passive Resistance (Charles Mingus)	3:49
A-3	PB3440 (20102)	Eclipse (Charles Mingus)	3:45
A-4	PB3431 (20094)	Mingus Fingus No.2 (Charles Mingus)	3:22
A-5	PB3438 (20100)	Weird Nightmare (Charles Mingus)	3:35
SIDE-B
B-1	PB3441 (20103)	Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me (Bob Russell & Duke Ellington)	3:33
B-2	PB3432 (20095)	Bemoanable Lady (Charles Mingus)	4:32
B-3	PB3430 (20093)	Half-Mast Inhibition (Charles Mingus)	8:12

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

A-4, B-2, B-3:
Marcus Belgrave (tp), Hobart Dotson (tp), Ted Curson (tp), Clark Terry (tp), Richard Williams (tp),
Eddie Bert(tb), Charles Greenlea (tb), Slide Hampton (tb), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Don Butterfield (tuba),
Harry Schuman (oboe), Bob Domenica (fl), Eric Dolphy (fl, as, b-cl), John La Porta (cl, as),
Bill Barron (ts), Joe Farrell (ts), Yusef Lateef (fl, ts), Danny Bank (bs),
Charles McCracken (cello), Rolan Hanna (p), Charles Mingus (b), Danny Richmond (ds).
B-3 conducted by Gunther Schuller.
Recorded in New York CIty on May 24, 1960.

A-1, A-2, A-3, A-5, B-1:
Ted Curson (tp), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Yusef Lateef (fl),
Eric Dolphy (fl, cl, as, b-cl), Joe Farrell (ts), Booker Ervin (ts),
Roland Hanna (p on A-2, B-1), Paul Bley (p on A-1, A-3, A-5), Charles Mingus (b), Danny Richmond (ds).
Lorraine Cousins (vo on A-3 and A-5).
Recorded in New York City on May 25, 1960.

Recording Director: Leonard Feather.