Charles Mingus - Oh Yeah
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Charles Mingus - piano, vocals [click here to see more vinyl featuring Charles Mingus]
Roland Kirk - flute, siren, tenor sax, manzello, strich [click here to see more vinyl featuring Roland Kirk]
Booker Ervin - tenor sax [click here to see more vinyl featuring Booker Ervin]
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Doug Watkins - bass [click here to see more vinyl featuring Doug Watkins]
Dannie Richmond – drums
1LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : Black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Pallas
Label : Speakers Corner
Original Label : Atlantic
Recorded November 1961 at Atlantic Studios, New York City
Engineered by Tom Dowd & Phil Lehle
Produced by Nesuhi Ertegun
Originally released in 1961
reissued in 2022
Tracks:
Side A:
- Hog Callin' Blues
- Devil Woman
- Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am
Side B:
- Ecclusiastics
- Oh Lord Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me
- Eat That Chicken
- Passions Of A Man
Reviews:
“After several sessions with Columbia and Candid, Charles Mingus briefly returned to Atlantic and cut the freewheeling Oh Yeah, which has to rank as the wildest of all his classic albums. Mingus plays no bass whatsoever, hiring Doug Watkins to fill in while he accompanies the group on piano and contributes bluesy vocals to several tracks (while shouting encouragement on nearly all of them). Mingus had always had a bizarre sense of humor, as expressed in some of his song titles and arranging devices, but Oh Yeah often gets downright warped. That's partly because Mingus is freed up to vocalize more often, but it's also due to the presence of mad genius Roland Kirk. His chemistry with Mingus is fantastically explosive, which makes sense -- both were encyclopedias of jazz tradition, but given over to oddball modernist experimentation. It's a shame Kirk only spent three months with the band, because his solo interpretations are such symbiotic reflections of Mingus' intent as a composer. Look no further than "Hog Callin' Blues," a stomping "Haitian Fight Song" descendant where Kirk honks and roars the blues like a man possessed. Mingus' vocal selections radiate the same dementia, whether it's the stream-of-consciousness blues couplets on "Devil Woman," the dark-humored modern-day spiritual "Oh Lord Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me," or the dadaist stride piano bounce of "Eat That Chicken," a nod to Fats Waller's comic novelties. Elsewhere, "Passions of a Man" sounds almost like musique concrète, while "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am" nicks some Monk angularity and "Ecclusiastics" adds some testifying shouts and a chorale-like theme to Mingus' gospel-jazz hybrid. Oh Yeah is probably the most offbeat Mingus album ever, and that's what makes it so vital.” AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Speakers Corner Records has released a re-mastered 180-gram vinyl of Andy Bey’s 1974 Atlantic debut, Experience And Judgement. Bey first garnered attention with his sisters on the RCA Victor album Andy And The Bey Sisters. They also performed on two Kenny Burrell albums (Now!Hear!; ‘Round Midnight). Additionally, Bey has worked with Gary Bartz, Stanley Clarke, Gerry Eastman, Max Roach, Louis Jordan and Horace Silver. His four-octave baritone captured the essence of soul and he created a sound that was a precursor to funk.
Experience And Judgment is a groove-filled, succinct 12-song collection of cosmic soul. Side A opens with the pulse-driven spiritual urgency of “Celestial Blues”. With a smooth, hypnotic vamp, Bey pleads for universal awareness as a means of self-discovery. His emotional vocals are compelling, supported by a funky arrangement. Bey’s philosophical musings continue with the jazzier up tempo “Experience”. All of the requisite 70’s instrumentation is there, including spacey keyboards and crisp guitar lines. Again, the vocals are the center of focus, and deservedly so. The musical intensity gets amped up on “Judgement”. There is a relentless funky downbeat, acid-laden guitar and occasional chord changes that articulate the sincere plea for people to “get it together”. Atmospheric glossiness pervades “I Know This Love Can’t Be Wrong”. This arrangement is textured with strings, nasty guitar and a head-nodding acknowledgement to love. There is a great fade and re-start in the last minute. In a change of place (“Hibiscus”), Bey flexes his deeper baritone and the musicians back him up with a mellow “space jam”. It is looser with sonic diffusion and Bey extends his vocal range with confidence. Slow-groove dynamics inhabit “You Should Have Seen The Way”. This is an example of a full song getting realized in two-and-a-half minutes.
“When you created an album like Mingus Ah Um, it is nearly impossible to replicate the commercial and artistic impact. Like Miles Davis (Kind Of Blue), John Coltrane (Giant Steps) and Ornette Coleman (The Shape Of Jazz To Come), any future projects would ultimately be compared to previous groundbreaking releases. To underscore the confidence and diverse musical vision of Charles Mingus, he surprised the jazz scene with the 1962 Atlantic Records 1962 album, Mingus Oh Yeah. On this album, he didn’t play double bass at all, instead choosing to perform on piano and contribute vocals to 3 tracks. This high-spirited amalgam of jazz, blues and gospel was an unusual departure from the moody and at times serious melancholy of his previous work.
Speakers Corner Records has released a re-mastered 180-gram vinyl of Mingus Oh Yeah. Featuring multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk (woodwinds, percussion); Booker Ervin (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Knepper (trombone) and the rhythm section of Doug Watkins (double bass) and Dannie Richmond (drums), this is an interesting change of pace for this jazz icon. Side A opens with the roadhouse swagger of “Hog Callin’ Blues”. With Mingus laying down some thick piano chords, he exhorts the band. Ervin and Kirk take turns exchanging urgent, white-hot licks on saxophone as Knepper makes the most of his trombone riffs (with and without a mute). It is an intense blues jam with free jazz intonation. Slowing things down, Mingus’ arrangement on “Devil Woman” is a late-night, straight forward blues translation. A counterpoint with staccato piano and sultry tenor leads into a gorgeous piano solo that has brilliant phrasing. He plays against saxophone with dexterity and innate feel. Knepper’s sinewy run is evocative, and the ending integrates the whole ensemble. On the hard-charging Monk tribute “Wham Bam, Thank You Ma’am”, Mingus executes hard bop with edgy, near-atonal saxophone riffs by Kirk and Ervin who play together and complement the polyrhythmic jam.
There is a decidedly earthy and soulful undercurrent to the seven tracks on Mingus Oh Yeah. The slow-burning intensity that pervades “Ecclusiastics” is gospel-driven. There are slower movements including an understated piano solo. But there are also up tempo swing transitions with articulate orchestration and accelerated time signature. It always returns to deliberate blues-laden motifs. In another low-key blues translation (“Oh Lord Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me”), Mingus and his band seem to channel blues pioneers like W.C. Handy. The harmonic reed/horn accents provide texture and deeply rooted emotion to the processional number. Renowned for somber contexts, he breezes through the accessible, comical “Eat That Chicken”. Possibly a tribute to Fats Waller, the instrumentation (with a funky bounce tempo) has old-time, raucous dynamics featuring a downright nasty trombone. This could be the most structured arrangement on the album. For anyone looking for the abstract side of Mingus, the finale “Passions Of A Man” more than meets this expectation. There are complex free-form instrumentals and stream-of-consciousness spoken word musings, all captured with a turbulent, foreboding resonance that is compelling and unsettling.
Speakers Corner Records has done an excellent job in remastering Mingus Oh Yeah to 180-gram vinyl. All of the various instrument tonality is represented vibrantly, including piercing saxophone, bass piano notation and fluid trombone. The stereo separation is excellent.” Robbie Gerson, Audiophile Audition, February 2022
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.41 / 5 ; Audiophile Audition : 4.5 / 5