Charles Mingus - The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Acoustic Sounds Series reissues from Verve/Universal Music Enterprises!

Monthly releases highlighting the world's most historic and best jazz records!

Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes

180-gram LPs pressed at Quality Record Pressings!

Stoughton Printing gatefold old-style tip-on jackets

Series supervised by Chad Kassem CEO of Acoustic Sounds

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"A comparison between this reissue and an original Impulse produced a sonic draw with each having its own attractive qualities — warmer original versus more transparent reissue — but the reissue is pressed on far quieter vinyl and given a choice I'd take the reissue. Musical and sonic fireworks well worth getting." — Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the whole review here.

On January 20, 1963, bassist and composer Charles Mingus recorded in just one session — astonishingly — a very personal and socially conscious work he titled The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady. With liner notes written by Mingus's psychotherapist, the album uses ornate ensemble orchestration to produce a sound somewhere between jazz and folk.

Released on Impulse! Records in 1963, the album consists of a single continuous composition — partially written as a ballet — divided into four tracks and six movements. Of his adventurous and hauntingly eloquent work, among his other creations, Mingus said: "My music is evidence of my soul's will to live."  The evidence of that life-force amounts to some of the most dramatic and powerful jazz composed in the 20th century.

Mingus was born in Arizona on April 22, 1922 and raised in Los Angeles. He was taught double-bass by Red Callendar, and by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra's Herman Rheinshagen (classical music played as big a part in his compositional thinking as gospel songs and the blues). Mingus toured with New Orleans players Louis Armstrong and Kid Ory in the 40s, and later worked briefly with Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington.

If he had been an improvising instrumentalist alone, Mingus would have been a jazz legend simply for his bass playing. Yet bass-playing also gave Mingus an insight into the low sonorities and inner hamonies of jazz composition, and his melodic approach was profoundly influenced by the blues and gospel music of his childhood.

Music

Sound

Ratings from Michael Fremer @ AnalogPlanet.com

Side A

1. Solo Dancer (Stop! And Listen, Sinner Jim Whitney!)

2. Duet Solo Dancers (Heart's Beat And Shades In Physical Embraces)

3. Group Dancers ([Soul Fusion] Freewoman And Oh This Freedom's Slave Cries)

Side B

1. Trio And Group Dancers (Stop! Look! And Sing Songs Of Revolutions!)

2. Single Solos And Group Dance (Saint And Sinner Join In Merriment On Battle Front)

3. Group And Solo Dance (Of Love, Pain, And Passioned Revolt, Then Farewell, My Beloved, 'til It's Freedom Day)

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 5 person(s) rated this product.

Wow posted on 10/21/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Brian VanPelt This pressing is extraordinary. There's almost no surface noise of which to speak, and my record looked perfect under light. This is pretty strongly recorded. The detail of this record is off the chart. Every instrument is sharply defined - pick one - durms, brass, bass, guitar. It is so clean sounding with plenty of air around instruments. Pick an audiophile trope, and this exceeds at that. The piano sounds a little sharper than what you'd get with a van Gelder recording. The acoustic guitar is quite visceral at times. With it being a Mingus album, the near perfect sound pushes this to that elevated 11 (as Nigel would put it) out of 10. Actually, I'll give this record a 6 out of 5, so that's a 12 (sorry Nigel). Now that I've finished listening to the record, I conted about 5 light clicks in total. Wow!

Something different posted on 01/17/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Len Originally conceived as a ballet, rather than short compositions this music is one extended idea(s). To me this album sounds like the soundtrack for a film noir from the late fifties that has yet to be made. Some might consider the music challenging, but it is not avant garde. Great sound and a top notch pressing. Highly recommended.

Superb posted on 01/16/2022 5 Stars Reviewer: Christian This record is absolutely fantastic. Everything about is spectacular. The jacket, the pressing, no expense was spared on this particular record. The vinyl is silent, no hissing, pops, clicks, wooshing, or anything. The sleeve is absolutely fantastic, when you open it, there's this satisfying cracking sound that just brings excitement. The mix is very dynamic. Record came completely flat, no warping at all. Fantastic shipping from Acoustic Sounds, fantastic record in general. Buy this record, you will not regret it.

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