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Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra |
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by Matt Pivec
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 Don't Be Afraid..The Music of Charles Mingus | | Personnel: Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Alto/Sopranino Sax; Ted Nash, Alto/Soprano Sax, Flute; Walter Blanding, Tenor Sax; Victor Goines, Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet; Joe Temperley, Baritone Sax, Bass Clarinet; Lew Soloff, Trumpet; Ryan Kisor, Trumpet; Marcus Printup, Trumpet; Wynton Marsalis, Trumpet; Ron Westray, Tombone; Vincent Gardner, Trombone; Andre Hayward, Trombone, Tuba; Eric “Top Professor” Lewis, Piano; Carlos Henriquez, Bass; Herlin “Homey” Riley, Drums.
| | Tracks: Dizzy Moods; Black Saint & the Sinner Lady (parts 1&2); Meditation on Integration; Tijuana Gift Shop; Los Mariachis; Don’t Be Afraid, the Clown’s Afraid Too. | |
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Don’t be afraid…the music of Charles Mingus.
Palmetto Records 2114
Don’t be afraid…the music of Charles Mingus is the most recent of many stellar recordings by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The album features six lesser-known Mingus works, including the first two parts of his 1963 masterpiece The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. Each of the pieces on this recording has been cleverly rearranged for the LCJO by trombonist Ron Westray. This group of top-flight musicians masterfully performs each of the six challenging selections. Complicated ensemble passages are precisely executed with ease. The soloists are outstanding and do well to capture the spontaneous energy of Mingus’ music.
Arranger Ron Westray is the real star of this recording. He met the challenge of coming to terms with the enduring legacy of Mingus’ music. Westray, in a brief interview for Stanley Crouch’s liners, informs us about his approach to arranging Mingus’ music by stating “…but most of all I was trying to be a humble servant to a very, very great musician.” He does indeed serve the spirit and power of Mingus’ music while expressing himself as well. I found his arrangement of “Black Saint & the Sinner Lady” to be particularly revealing of Westray’s duality of service and personal expression. One such example is his opening segment to Part 1. Here, he provides the saxophone section with a new chromatic call-and-response prior to the statement of the Mingus’ first melody. Westray’s material is new, yet Mingus’ original character is maintained.
I feel that reinterpretation of Mingus’ music is a tribute to the great artist. Reinterpretation signifies the belief that his music is worth reconsidering within a contemporary context by current musicians and worth appreciating by current audiences. To this day, his music sounds modern and current audiences are moved upon their contact with it. As heard in this fine recording by one of the world’s best ensembles, Mingus’ music is still growing, evolving, and reaching people even in his absence.
-Matt Pivec (September, 2006) |
Matt Pivec |
| About the author: |
| Saxophonist Matt Pivec has performed with some of the great artists of jazz and popular music including: Ray Charles, The Temptations, Peter Erskine, Maria Schneider, the Rochester Philharmonic Pops Orchestra, and the national touring companies of Hairspray, 42nd Street, and The Producers. |
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