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1960 studio album by Charles Mingus
Blues & Roots is an album by Charles Mingus , recorded in 1959 and released on the Atlantic label in 1960. It has been reissued on CD by both Atlantic and Rhino .
Inspiration
Mingus explained the origins of this record in the album's liner notes:[ 4]
This record is unusual— it presents only one part of my musical world, the blues . A year ago, Nesuhi Ertegün suggested that I record an entire blues album in the style of "Haitian Fight Song" (in Atlantic LP 1260 ), because some people, particularly critics, were saying I didn't swing enough. He wanted to give them a barrage of soul music : churchy, blues, swinging, earthy. I thought it over. I was born swinging and clapped my hands in church as a little boy, but I've grown up and I like to do things other than just swing. But blues can do more than just swing . So I agreed.
— Charles Mingus
Reception
Q Magazine (7/93, p. 110) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...at his best he could drive his fellow musicians onwards and upwards with big bass playing and hoarse exhortations. Blues & Roots contains six servings of this brilliance..."
DownBeat (1960) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "...vital and important music...[Mingus] is outstanding in his solo work...this is something worth careful and thorough listening..."
Track listing
"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" – 5:39
"Cryin' Blues" – 4:58
"Moanin' " – 8:01
"Tensions" – 6:27
"My Jelly Roll Soul" – 6:47
"E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" – 6:37
The 1998 Rhino CD reissue included these additional tracks:
"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" – 6:59 – alternate take
"Tensions" – 5:18 – alternate take
"My Jelly Roll Soul" – 11:25 – alternate take
"E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" – 6:47 – alternate take
All tracks composed by Charles Mingus. Recorded February 4, 1959, at Atlantic Studios in New York City .
Personnel
References
Sources
Sleeve notes to Atlantic Records CD reissue of Blues & Roots (Atlantic SD-1305-2)
Studio albums Live albums Books Related
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, except when this was delayed
As leader With Charles Mingus With others
Hot Line (Bill Barron , 1962)
Out Front! (Jaki Byard , 1964)
Urge (Ted Curson , 1965)
Cracklin' (Roy Haynes , 1963)
In the Land of the Giants (Eric Kloss , 1969)
Havin' a Ball at the Village Gate (Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan , 1963)
Up & Down (Horace Parlan , 1961)
Happy Frame of Mind (Horace Parlan, 1963)
The Exciting New Organ of Don Patterson (Don Patterson )
Hip Cake Walk (Don Patterson, 1964)
Patterson's People (Don Patterson, 1964)
Tune Up! (Don Patterson, 1964 [1971])
Soul People (Sonny Stitt , 1964)
The Quest (Mal Waldron , 1961)
Highlife (Randy Weston , 1963)
Randy /African Cookbook (Randy Weston, 1964)
Monterey '66 (Randy Weston, 1966 [1994])
Year(s) indicated are for the recording(s), not first release, except for the compilation section.
As leader or co-leader With others
The Happy Blues (Gene Ammons , 1956)
Jammin' with Gene (Gene Ammons, 1956)
Funky (Gene Ammons, 1957)
Jammin' in Hi Fi with Gene Ammons (Gene Ammons, 1957)
Hard Bop (Art Blakey /The Jazz Messengers , 1956)
Originally (Art Blakey/The Jazz Messengers, 1956 [1982])
Drum Suite (Art Blakey/The Jazz Messengers, 1956–57)
A Night in Tunisia (Art Blakey/The Jazz Messengers, Vik/RCA, 1957)
Ritual: The Modern Jazz Messengers (Art Blakey, 1957)
Tough! (Art Blakey/The Jazz Messengers, 1957)
Back to the Tracks (Tina Brooks , 1960)
2 Guitars (Kenny Burrell & Jimmy Raney , 1957)
Off to the Races (Donald Byrd , 1958)
Fuego (Donald Byrd, 1959)
Byrd in Flight (Donald Byrd, 1960)
Cool Struttin' (Sonny Clark , 1958)
Dig (Miles Davis , 1951)
Quintet/Sextet (Miles Davis, 1955)
Davis Cup (Walter Davis Jr. , 1959)
Inta Somethin' (Kenny Dorham , 1961)
Matador (Kenny Dorham, 1962)
Tuba Sounds (Ray Draper , 1957)
2 Trumpets (Art Farmer , 1957)
Bird Songs: The Final Recordings (Dizzy Gillespie , 1992)
To Bird with Love (Dizzy Gillespie, 1992)
Pithecanthropus Erectus (Charles Mingus , 1956)
Blues & Roots (Charles Mingus, 1958)
Mobley's Message (Hank Mobley , Prestige, 1956)
Hi Voltage (Hank Mobley, 1967)
Evolution (Grachan Moncur III , 1963)
Lee-Way (Lee Morgan, 1960)
Tom Cat (Lee Morgan, 1964)
Cornbread (Lee Morgan, 1965)
Infinity (Lee Morgan, 1965)
Charisma (Lee Morgan, 1966)
The Sixth Sense (Lee Morgan, 1967–68)
The Music From "The Connection" (Freddie Redd , 1960)
Shades of Redd (Freddie Redd, 1960)
Redd's Blues (Freddie Redd, 1961)
Open House (Jimmy Smith , 1960)
Plain Talk (Jimmy Smith, 1960)
Taylor's Wailers (Art Taylor, 1957)
Mal/2 (Mal Waldron , 1957)
Left Alone (Mal Waldron, 1959)
Left Alone '86 (Mal Waldron, 1986)
Easterly Winds (Jack Wilson , 1967)
Film and TV appearances
Year(s) indicated are for the recording(s), not first release.
As leader or co-leader WithGene Ammons WithJackie McLean WithCharles Mingus With the Prestige All Stars With others
All Night Long (Kenny Burrell , 1956)
Earthy (Kenny Burrell, 1957)
2 Guitars (Kenny Burrell & Jimmy Raney , 1957)
Where? (Ron Carter , 1961)
The Teddy Charles Tentet (1956)
Coolin' (Teddy Charles , 1957)
Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette (John Coltrane & Paul Quinichette , 1957)
Coltrane (1957)
Dakar (John Coltrane, Pepper Adams & Cecil Payne , 1957)
At the Five Spot (Eric Dolphy , both volumes, 1961)
Tuba Sounds (Ray Draper , 1957)
Hornful of Soul (aka, Catwalk , Bennie Green , 1960)
Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday at Newport (1957)
Lady in Satin (Billie Holiday , 1958)
So Warm (Etta Jones , 1961)
After Hours (Thad Jones , 1957)
Olio (Thad Jones, 1957)
Reflections: Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk (1958)
Straight Ahead (Abbey Lincoln , 1961)
Teo (Teo Macero , 1957)
On the Sunny Side (Paul Quinichette, 1957)
Percussion Bitter Sweet (Max Roach , 1961)
It's Time (Max Roach, 1962)
Speak, Brother, Speak! (Max Roach, 1962)
For Lady (Webster Young , 1957)
Years indicated are for the recording(s), not release.
Albums as leader WithStanley Turrentine 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)