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Mingus Ah Um: 1959's Enduring Heart

Charles Mingus's 1959 classic Mingus Ah Um fuses gospel roots with sharp social protest, defining a pivotal year for jazz that also saw Miles Davis's Kind of Blue.

Tracklist

  1. Better Git It in Your Soul — Charles Mingus
  2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat — Charles Mingus
  3. Boogie Stop Shuffle — Charles Mingus
  4. Self-Portrait in Three Colors — Charles Mingus
  5. Fables of Faubus — Charles Mingus
  6. So What — Miles Davis
  7. Giant Steps — John Coltrane
  8. Take Five — The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Transcript

Welcome to OffStereo. Evening's here — let's set the mood.

Better Git It in Your Soul — Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus's 1959 masterpiece, *Mingus Ah Um*, stands as a pivotal jazz work, celebrated for its innovative blend of Black musical traditions. This opening track, "Better Git It in Your Soul," immediately showcases Mingus's genius, drawing deeply from the gospel singing he experienced in his Watts childhood.

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat — Charles Mingus

Mingus used music to honor his forebears, transforming their influences into his unique sound. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" serves as a poignant elegy for tenor saxophonist Lester Young, who passed away just before the album's recording sessions began.

Boogie Stop Shuffle — Charles Mingus

Mingus's compositional brilliance on *Mingus Ah Um* is evident in how he assimilated individual spontaneity into a firm consistency of mood, as AllMusic notes. This dynamic approach shines through in the energetic and intricate "Boogie Stop Shuffle."

Self-Portrait in Three Colors — Charles Mingus

Beyond the fiery ensemble pieces, Mingus’s distinctive compositional voice also crafted moments of profound beauty. "Self-Portrait in Three Colors" exemplifies his elegance, demonstrating how he would create mental scores and then provide a framework for his musicians' improvisation.

Fables of Faubus — Charles Mingus

Mingus also wielded his music for profound social commentary, a courageous act in his era. His most explicitly political work on the album, "Fables of Faubus," was a direct protest against Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus's actions during the 1957 Little Rock Crisis. Columbia Records, however, refused to allow the original scathing lyrics, leading to its release here as an instrumental track.

So What — Miles Davis

*Mingus Ah Um* arrived in 1959, a year PopMatters called a "watershed" for jazz. Miles Davis's *Kind of Blue*, featuring this iconic track "So What," was also released that year, showcasing the incredible burst of creativity that defined the era alongside Mingus's work.

Giant Steps — John Coltrane

The year 1959 saw a revolutionary shift in jazz, with albums pushing harmonic and melodic boundaries. John Coltrane's *Giant Steps*, another seminal release from that same year, redefined harmonic complexity, further cementing 1959 as a peak for innovation.

Take Five — The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Closing out this look at a monumental year for jazz, Dave Brubeck's *Time Out*, also released in 1959, brought new rhythmic sophistication. "Take Five" highlighted unusual time signatures, proving how diverse and influential the jazz landscape was when *Mingus Ah Um* made its indelible mark.

Thank you for listening to OffStereo. In a world of infinite sounds, may that single chosen album continue to be a profound compass for your ears.

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