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I'm not a Jazz expert, so I don't feel quite right giving this album 4 stars since it's so highly rated by the experts. I like it, the tracks are light and easy to listen to. They're also varied and interesting enough to warrant many replays. However, as good as they are, I don't rate them as highly as some of the other works to which I've given 5 stars.
Essential. By which I mean, not just something that jazz fans ought to own, but that anyone with ears needs to have nearby at all times. Like almost nothing else in this world, except perhaps Coltrane and the late Beethoven quartets, this is art that both challenges and sustains, that mourns and celebrates, that is fiercely passionate and wildly exuberant, that from the dust and clay of human life reinvents the transcendent.Plus you can dance to it.
There are some blues-driven tunes (the famous and somewhat somber "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"), but most of this stuff SWINGS. As I have grown older (now 47), and having grown up in a household where my Dad played lots of big band jazz and some classical, in my adult life I have centered upon bebop as my favorite genre. And the gorgeous balladry of "Self-Portrait in Three Colors" is a tune that I am fairly certain influenced Wynton Marsalis' J Mood recording, as well as compostions from other artists I am sure. I am a percussionist at heart, so I love the energy of the faster tempos, the tight harmonics, the horns, and the fact that bebop is acoustic, which gives it lots of purity in my mind, as it requires the musicians to really hone their craft, and last but not least, that it typically swings.
And all of the musicians are in top form. Now that I have said that, I will say this: Ah Um is at its minimum, a truly outstanding jazz recording in the bebop genre. There is a diversity of tempos, although most of the tunes have a traditional fast tempo that is associated with bebop. I am not a professional reviewer, and I don't want to be redundant given the fine reviews that are already available, so I will share what is hopefully a slightly different perspective with you if you are looking for a reason to pull the trigger and purchase this recording.In years past, I was of the (ignorant) opinion that Mingus's music was not very accessible, because I had heard that from others here and there who were "into jazz." Which brings up a point - when people tell you that, it's always a good idea to get a barometer on what kind of jazz they listen to, as jazz music is the most segmented genre in the world of music. Take it from me, a late comer. is one of my favorites.
The playful, bluesy, and sexy horn (clarinet, sax, trombone) work on "Pussy Cat Dues" is not to be missed, and just try to listen to "Jelly Roll" without grinning. Overall, the recording seems to alternate between tempos which is yet another factor that makes it interesting and will bring you back again and again.
After listening even once, the sweeping influence this recording has rendered is now very apparent to me. It all started when a friend turned me onto some Jazz Messengers recordings and I was hooked.
In conclusion, I have to say that this is some of the richest bebop I have ever heard - the at times lyrical unison of the horns, the intermittent swinging, and Mingus' driving yet tastefully subdued bass lines that never intrude. (Go right to "Bird Call" if you need confirmation).
"Boogie Stop Shuffle," whose base melody humorously reminds me of the theme from Spiderman (). Ah Um, while innovative, is still one of the more accessible bebop recordings and is essential if in fact you enjoy the genre.
And that has been a fun discovery.
Easily one of the greatest jazz recordings ever made. It is like a fine wine. This should be required listening for every jazz student. It was for me. The longer I listen to it the better it sounds. It puts a smile on my face and makes me want to slap electronic musicians upside their heads.
A while back, I picked up Pithecanthropus Erectus: 1955-1957 as my first dose of Mingus. Because this gets away from the "standard" standards, this is a good change of pace, but it is quintessential jazz and unmistakable Mingus. They follow the lead of the driving, swinging rhythm set down by Mingus and capitalize on every opportunity to shine when given a solo.
But after listening to Ah Um maybe twenty times over a three or four week period, I can safely say I've seen the light. This production quality is very high, the liner notes informative and generous. While I was favorably impressed for the most part, I really didn't see what all the excitement over Charles Mingus was about.
Because all the songs were written by Mingus, the song selection is not exactly mainstream, but I think most jazz enthusiasts will be familiar with a few of these songs. This is one of the most intricate, interesting, brilliantly executed CD's in my burgeoning collection. The backing band is diverse and totally into what Mingus was trying to accomplish.
Total music is almost 73 minutes, and they don't waste a single minute. I have to give it five stars, because this CD is "the max".
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