A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry

A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry
A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry
Studio album by Charles Mingus
Released	May or June 1959
Recorded	October 1957
Genre	Jazz
Length	57:29
Label	Bethlehem
Producer	Jeff Palo
Charles Mingus chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]
Los Angeles Times	^[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	^[5]

A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry is an album by the jazz bassist, composer, and band leader Charles Mingus, released by Bethlehem Records in mid-1959.^[1]^[2] In spite of the title, the album does not contain any poetry.^[3] "Scenes in the City", however, includes narration performed by Mel Stewart and written by actor Lonne Elder with assistance from Langston Hughes.^[4]^[6]^[7] The composition "Duke's Choice" re-appears, in updated form, as "I X Love" on the 1963 album Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus.^[8]^[9]^[10] "Nouroog", "Duke's Choice" and "Slippers" form the basis of the suite "Open Letter to Duke" on Mingus Ah Um.^[11]

The CD issues of the album include three bonus tracks: the Dizzy Gillespie standard "Woody 'n' You", Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce", which is listed as "Bounce" and miscredited to Mingus, and an alternate take of "Slippers".^[12]

Reception[]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow called the album "an excellent set of challenging yet often accessible music".^[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz deemed it "an opportunity for Mingus to experiment with texts and with pure sound".^[5] The Penguin editors furthermore cite Clarence Shaw's performance on "New York Sketchbook" as "the best trumpet heard on a Mingus album for some time before or since".^[5]

Track listing[]

All titles by Charles Mingus, except where noted.

"Scenes in the City" (Music: Mingus; Narrative: Elder, Hughes) – 11:55
"Nouroog" – 4:52
"New York Sketchbook" – 8:55
"Duke's Choice" – 6:27
"Slippers" – 3:29
"Woody 'n' You" (Gillespie) – 8:44
- Mistitled "Wouldn't You" on earlier releases
"Bounce" (Parker) – 9:22
"Slippers (Alternate Take)" – 3:50

Personnel[]

Charles Mingus – bass
Jimmy Knepper – trombone
Shafi Hadi – tenor and alto saxophone
Bill Hardman – trumpet (on "Nouroog")
Clarence Shaw – trumpet (except on "Nouroog")
Dannie Richmond – drums
Horace Parlan – piano (on "Nouroog", "Duke's Choice", "Slippers"; left hand during final solo on "New York Sketchbook")
Bob Hammer – piano (on remaining tracks)
Mel Stewart – voice (narration on "Scenes in the City")

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Editorial Staff, Cash Box (16 May 1959). "May Album Releases" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Editorial Staff, Billboard (22 June 1959). "A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry with Charlie Mingus". The Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Yanow, Scott (2011). "A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry - Charles Mingus | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Heckman, Don (2001-02-19). "A More Complete Introduction to Mingus". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). New York: Penguin. pp. 907. ISBN 0-14-102327-9.
^ Hentoff, Nat (1957). A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Bethlehem Records/Shout! Factory. pp. 3–6. DK 37964.
^ The liner notes credit "Lonnie Elders"; other sources credit "Lonne Elder III."
^ Santoro, Gene (2000). Myself when I Am Real. New York: Oxford University Press US. pp. 413. ISBN 0-19-514711-1.
^ Mathieson, Kenny (1999). Giant Steps. Canongate US. p. 217. ISBN 0-86241-859-3.
^ Nat Hentoff identifies "Nouroog" as the precursor to "I X Love". Hentoff, Nat (1963). Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Impulse! Records. pp. 2–10. IMPD-170.
^ Priestley, Brian (1998). "Charles Mingus". Mingus Ah Um (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Sony Music. pp. 17–20. CK 65512.
^ Jenkins, Todd S. (2006). I Know what I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus. Westport, CT: Praeger. p. 55. ISBN 9780275981020.

[CashBoxMay59-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Editorial Staff, Cash Box (16 May 1959). "May Album Releases" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. Retrieved 2 September 2019.

[Billboard59-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b Editorial Staff, Billboard (22 June 1959). "A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry with Charlie Mingus". The Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. Retrieved 2 September 2019.

[allmusic-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Yanow, Scott (2011). "A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry - Charles Mingus | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2011.

[heckman-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b Heckman, Don (2001-02-19). "A More Complete Introduction to Mingus". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 August 2011.

[penguin-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). New York: Penguin. pp. 907. ISBN 0-14-102327-9.

[hentoff1957-6] Hentoff, Nat (1957). A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Bethlehem Records/Shout! Factory. pp. 3–6. DK 37964.

[7] The liner notes credit "Lonnie Elders"; other sources credit "Lonne Elder III."

[santoro-8] Santoro, Gene (2000). Myself when I Am Real. New York: Oxford University Press US. pp. 413. ISBN 0-19-514711-1.

[mathieson-9] Mathieson, Kenny (1999). Giant Steps. Canongate US. p. 217. ISBN 0-86241-859-3.

[hentoff1963-10] Nat Hentoff identifies "Nouroog" as the precursor to "I X Love". Hentoff, Nat (1963). Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Impulse! Records. pp. 2–10. IMPD-170.

[priestley-11] Priestley, Brian (1998). "Charles Mingus". Mingus Ah Um (CD booklet). Charles Mingus. Sony Music. pp. 17–20. CK 65512.

[12] Jenkins, Todd S. (2006). I Know what I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus. Westport, CT: Praeger. p. 55. ISBN 9780275981020.

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show v t Charles Mingus
Studio albums	The Jazz Experiments of Charlie Mingus Jazz Composers Workshop Pithecanthropus Erectus The Clown East Coasting Mingus Three Weary Blues A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry Mingus Ah Um Blues & Roots Mingus Dynasty Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus Pre-Bird Mingus Oh Yeah Tijuana Moods Money Jungle The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Tonight at Noon Mingus Plays Piano Blue Bird Pithycanthropus Erectus Let My Children Hear Music Mingus Moves Changes One Changes Two Three or Four Shades of Blues His Final Work Cumbia & Jazz Fusion Something Like a Bird Charles Mingus with Orchestra Reincarnation of a Lovebird
Live albums	Mingus at the Bohemia (1956) Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland (1959) The Complete Town Hall Concert (1962) The Charles Mingus Quintet & Max Roach (1964) Astral Weeks (1964) Town Hall Concert (1964) Revenge! (1964) The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (1964) Mingus in Europe Volume I (1964) Mingus in Europe Volume II (1964) Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop (1964) Mingus at Monterey (1964) My Favorite Quintet (1965) Music Written for Monterey 1965 (1965) Charles Mingus Sextet In Berlin (1970) Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert (1972) Mingus at Antibes (1974) Mingus at Carnegie Hall (1974) Cornell 1964 (2007)
Books	Beneath the Underdog (1971 autobiography)
Related	Discography Mingus Big Band Mingus Dynasty Sue Mingus Jazz at Massey Hall (1953) Weary Blues (1958) Newport Rebels (1960) Money Jungle (1962) Pepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charlie Mingus (1964) Mingus (1979) Epitaph (1990) Mingus: Charlie Mingus 1968 Charles Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog (1998 documentary) Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard

show v t Horace Parlan
Years indicated are for the recording(s), not release.
Albums as leader	Movin' & Groovin' (1960) Us Three (1960) Speakin' My Piece (1960) Headin' South (1960) On the Spur of the Moment (1961) Up & Down (1961) Happy Frame of Mind (1963) Arrival (1973) No Blues (1975) Frank-ly Speaking (1977) Goin' Home (with Archie Shepp, 1977) Blue Parlan (1978) Hi-Fly (1978) Musically Yours (1979) The Maestro (1979) Trouble in Mind (with Archie Shepp, 1980) Pannonica (1980) Like Someone in Love (1983) Glad I Found You (1984) Little Esther (1987) Duo Reunion (with Archie Shepp, 1987) Voyage of Rediscovery (1999)
With Stanley Turrentine	Look Out! (Stanley Turrentine, 1960) Comin' Your Way (1961) Up at "Minton's" (1961) Salt Song (1971)
With others	Gene Ammons in Sweden (1973) One Foot in the Gutter (Dave Bailey, 1960) Gettin' Into Somethin' (Dave Bailey, 1960) Motoring Along (Al Cohn & Zoot Sims, 1974) Tough Tenor Favorites (Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis & Johnny Griffin, 1962) Goin' to the Meeting (Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, 1962) Jaw's Blues (Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, 1981) The Time Is Right (Lou Donaldson, 1959) Sunny Side Up (Lou Donaldson, 1960) Midnight Sun (Lou Donaldson, 1960) The Jazzpar Prize (Pierre Dørge, 1991) That's It! (Booker Ervin, 1961) Exultation! (Booker Ervin, 1963) The House That Love Built (Frank Foster, 1982) Doin' Allright (Dexter Gordon, 1961) Stable Mable (Dexter Gordon, 1975) Jazz with a Twist (Slide Hampton, 1961) Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (1962) Weary Blues (Langston Hughes, Charles Mingus & Leonard Feather, 1958) Gifts & Messages (Roland Kirk, 1964) I Talk with the Spirits (Roland Kirk, 1964) Slightly Latin (Roland Kirk, 1965) A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (Charles Mingus, 1957) Blues & Roots (Charles Mingus, 1959) Mingus Ah Um (Charles Mingus, 1959) I'll Close My Eyes (Doug Raney, 1982) Meeting the Tenors (Doug Raney, 1983) Splashes (Archie Shepp, 1987) Bird's Grass (Idrees Sulieman, 1976) Groovin' (Idrees Sulieman, 1985)