Charles Mingus Tijuana Moods LP 1957-1962

Tijuana Moods is a strange album to me, I don't think it sounds like the typical Mingus album. At least not the way I think of Mingus.

I think about Blue & Roots, and Mingus Ah Um, and The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady.

Tijuana Moods is still an exceptional piece of music.  Judging by the amount of edits needed to piece it together, this album had to have been a labor of love for Mingus.

Mingus does mention on the back cover no less, that Tijuana Moods was the best album he ever made.

One wonders exactly when Charles was meaning this best album claim, as this music was made in 1957, and not released until 1962, did he mean this for 1957 or 1962?

 I like Tijuana Moods, its an interesting, if some what flawed listen.  I certainly don't consider it as great as Mingus Ah Um or The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, the latter in my estimation the greatest of all Mingus works. But I hold so much of his legacy so high that you begin to grasp at straws trying to pick a best Mingus record anyway.

Tijuana Moods seems like a work in progress, which honestly is something I don't mind, as Mingus' best work always seem raw and unrefined.

Saxophonist Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter) shines very brightly on the album, he plays with a pissed off fire that you might expect coming from a Mingus side man.

Hadi completely dropped out of site in the early 60's, he can be heard on another Mingus album The Clown.

This early 60's copy, I presume it is a first pressing was a great find? I purchased a huge lot of Mingus albums several years ago, the covers were all on the worn to rough side. I gambled on it, the dealer had a generic VG grade on the lot, turned out most of the vinyl was VG+ to near mint in all honesty, I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.

You can get a copy like this pictured copy in the 50 dollar price range if you shop around, this has also been reissued on high quality vinyl with bonus tracks added.

One Down One Up: John Coltrane Live at the Half Note 200 Gram Vinyl

Here is one of my favorite vinyl reissues: 

One Down One Up is a lavish 200 gram double vinyl set that really adds something special to the experience.

Thick Audiophile quality LP's pressed on 200 gram virgin vinyl, with a 12 inch  brimming with life booklet that also makes the CD look puny by comparison.

The title track, by in large a duet between drummer Elvin Jones and John Coltrane is the centerpiece of the album, the track offers some atonal inside out playing that was legendary on the bootleg circuit.

John's son Ravi Coltrane gave the OK for an official release, and I was excited, as I had not heard this stellar music. The sound quality album wide is still very good, and hard to complain about, if you understand that these are indeed not audiophile quality.

I happen to think the sound is better than average, and except for a few drop outs here and there, not bad at all.

 The music is indeed of historic proportions, as the quartet had just come off of A Love Supreme and they are really pushing the boundaries of post bop.

In fact, it wouldn't be too long until Trane went too far for Pianist McCoy Tyner, and
Drummer Elvin Jones and they hit the road, then Drummer Rashied Ali and Coltrane's pianist wife Alice joined the band.

This Half note performance was documented for radio broadcast by DJ Alan Grant, he does become a tad annoying talking over the music, but honestly, if he hadn't recorded the music, I wouldn't be talking  about how great it is.

The title track is 28 minutes of fury and fire,  and the first 35 minutes of it wasn't even recorded as DJ grant showed up 35 minutes into the track, but at the 10 minute mark Tyner and Garrison drop out and Jones and Coltrane take the track where no man has gone before.

The title track has almost become mythical in stature because of the duet, since I am just a lowly blues rock guitarist, I can't adequately describe music this advanced other than describing what's going with the mood.

 The spiritual urgency seems palpable, I swear Coltrane seems like he's playing with a passion that's needed to gain entry to paradise or something, He "would" be dead 2 years later?

Coltrane was asked once by a Japanese reporter what he hoped to accomplish with his life or music, He simply said: "To be a saint".

Check out this article with a little more background on the context of the now legendary "saint" comment.

"Afro Blue", the Mongo Santamaria vehicle is always a keeper every time I hear the track, somehow Coltrane manages to keep the essence of the original while all concerned show their prowess as advanced "from another world" musicians.

 Elvin Jones once said:" You got to be willing to die with a motherfucker" when asked what it was like, and how to play with such intensity. Man, this music does sound like life and death! I can't complain one bit about this reissue, it's one of my favorites,  I originally purchased on CD.

Once I returned to vinyl a few years later, I jumped on this vinyl copy as quickly as I could. I paid $40 dollars for this copy, I have noticed it selling for twice that much at times on eBay. Being a limited edition, I doubt it will get any cheaper than the $40.