Moanin' (Mingus)

Composed and arranged by Charles Mingus

Moanin' Charles Mingus (1959)

Charles Mingus, Blues & Roots (1960)

Not to be confused with the Bobby Timmons tune by the same name (recorded the previous year), there's no mistaking Mingus' Moanin' when you hear it--it's pure Mingus! It's from the 1960 album Blues & Roots. Here's the lineup:

Charles Mingus (bass), John Handy, Jackie McLean (alto sax), Booker Ervin (tenor sax), Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Jimmy Knepper, Willie Dennis (trombone), Dannie Richmond (drums), Horace Parlan (piano).

The solos are by Jackie McLean, Pepper Adams, and Booker Ervin.

Jackie McLean

Pepper Adams

Booker Ervin

Boogie Stop Shuffle

Composed by Charles Mingus, arranged by Sy Johnson

Boogie Stop Shuffle, Mingus Big Band (1996)

Sy Johnson's arrangement of the Mingus classic Boogie Stop Shuffle is from the 1996 Mingus Big Band album Live In Time.

Randy Brecker, Earl Gardner, Philip Harper, Ryan Kisor, Alex Sipiagin (tpt); Robin Eubanks, Conrad Herwig, Frank Lacy, Britt Woodman (tb); Gary Bartz (as), Steve Slagle (as, ss); Seamus Blake, Mark Isham, Mark Shim, John Stubblefield (ts); Ronnie Cuber, Gary Smulyan (bari); John Hicks, Kenny Drew, Jr. (p); Andy McKee (b); Adam Cruz (d)

Of course, Sy Johnson is covering the classic original 1959 Mingus recording on Mingus Ah Um.

Boogie Stop Shuffle, Charles Mingus (1959)

Willie Dennis (trombone); Booker Ervin, Shafi Hadi (tenor saxophone); Horace Parlan (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); Dannie Richmond (drums); NYC, May 12, 1959.

Nostalgia In Times Square

Composed by Charles Mingus, arranged by Sy Johnson

Nostalgia In Times Square - Sy Johnson arrangement

Originally written for the 1959 John Cassavetes film Shadows, Nostalgia in Times Square is a medium tempo blues but with a unique harmonic structure.

Nostalgia In Times Square - Charles Mingus

The tune debuted on Mingus' 1959 Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland album, recorded live at the Nonagon Art Gallery, one of the Tenth Street galleries on the East side of Manhattan.

Personnel: John Handy (alto sax), Booker Ervin (tenor sax), Richard Wyands (piano), Charles Mingus (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums)