Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series)

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records!

180-gram 45 RPM double LP

Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analog tape

Mingus taps blues and roots sources for a joyous swinging outing!

Plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI

Gatefold old-style "tip-on" jacket by Stoughton Printing

"This new Kevin Gray mastered stereo reissue using the original tapes, plated and pressed at QRP, gives you a remarkably transparent open window on the original event presented, compared to the original, with greater dynamic authority, timbral vibrancy, dynamic range and image three-dimensionality. You can be sure the 'old school' gimme the original mono document types might complain, but so much more is revealed here, it's difficult to fault what Kevin Gray has pulled from these tapes ... For now though, there's this highly recommended deluxe, laminated, 'Tip-on' edition featuring a pair of black and white Mingus photos in the gatefold. Happy 75th to Atlantic Records" —  Music = 9/11; Sound = 9/11 - Michael Fremer, TrackingAngle.com. Read Fremer's full review here.

AllMusic marks Charles Mingus' Blues & Roots as a rejoinder to the critical carping that the virtuoso bass player and accomplished jazz pianist and bandleader and his evocative music "somehow didn't swing enough." For this album Mingus turned to the earthiest and earliest sources of black musical expression — blues, gospel, and old-time New Orleans jazz. The resulting album ranks arguably as Mingus' most joyously swinging outing.

Recorded in 1959 and released in 1960, Blues & Roots' birth was explained by Mingus in the album's liner notes: "This record is unusual-it presents only one part of my musical world, the blues. A year ago, Nesuhi Ertegün suggested that I record an entire blues album in the style of 'Haitian Fight Song' (in Atlantic LP 1260), because some people, particularly critics, were saying I didn't swing enough. He wanted to give them a barrage of soul music: churchy, blues, swinging, earthy. I thought it over. I was born swinging and clapped my hands in church as a little boy, but I've grown up and I like to do things other than just swing. But blues can do more than just swing. So I agreed."

Anyone who had heard "Haitian Fight Song" shouldn't have been surprised that such an album was well within Mingus' range. Mingus boosts the complexity of the music by assembling a nine-piece outfit and arranging multiple lines to be played simultaneously — somewhat akin to the Dixieland ensembles of old, but with an acutely modern flavor.

That modern flavor is reinforced and enhanced by the lush Analogue Productions reissue treatment that gives this new version more depth, richer sonic execution and acute audio clarity, particularly in the higher frequencies. Expert mastering from the original master tape by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and two 45 RPM flat-as-a-table 180-gram LP platters from Gary Salstrom and his crew at Quality Record Pressings properly unveil the loose and free-swinging performance. The wider-spaced grooves promote better cartridge tracking and the silent black playing surface stays clear of the audio playback.

There's no question of Mingus' firm grounding in the basics on Blues & Roots, writes AllMusic, nor of his deeply felt affinity with them. Whether the music is explicitly gospel-based — like the groundbreaking classic "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" — or not, the whole album is performed with a churchy fervor that rips through both the exuberant swingers and the aching, mournful slow blues. Still, it's the blues that most prominently inform the feeling of the album, aside from the aforementioned "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" and the Jelly Roll Morton tribute "My Jelly Roll Soul."

Audiophilia Dream List

Side A

1. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting

2. Cryin' Blues

Side B

1. Moanin'

Side C

1. Tensions

2. My Jelly Roll Soul

Side D

1. E's Flat Ah's Flat Too

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 7 person(s) rated this product.

Excellent! posted on 12/12/2023 5 Stars Reviewer: Johnny This is really an awesome pressing! It completely surpasses the thin and tinny sound of the reissue I bought in the early 80’s. The sound here is rich and has wonderful texture. The lower end, for instance Pepper Adams’s baritone sax and Mingus’s bass are especially punchy, crunchy and authentic sounding.

Worth a try posted on 10/29/2023 5 Stars Reviewer: Jason The sound quality matches what Analogue Productions have always provided on 45rpm records. There's a bit too much separation between the 2 channels but I guess it's due to the way it was recorded back in the day.

Most likely the best pressing ever posted on 10/11/2023 5 Stars Reviewer: Fumio I wanted to give this new Atlantic 75 releases a try and without hesitation I purchased this first available item. I am a Mingus freak and this is the best sounding version of this album by far. The somewhat extreme right-left instruments separation is very typical of this era and is consistent with the original pressing. All the musicians sound so close to you. Especially Mingus' upright. An astonishing pressing overall. It was worth the big investment (60 bucks plus another 60 bucks for the shipping).

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