Mingus Ah Um

My favorite Mingus album. I have it both on CD and LP. The CD produces excellent sound; an LP on good vinyl is heart-breaking--achingly beautiful. But the recorded format is less important than having this wonderful work. Whether your choice is CD or LP, get it.Everything we know about Charles Mingus is here First, the recording produces an honest portrait of the man in the first track: "Better Get It In Your Soul." It's over-sized, rollicking, gospel-tinged, barking, filled with celebratory happiness and celestial anger. The only similar vision of the bassist is the one presented in Geoff Dyer's amazing But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz. Then there is the music itself, pieces that ranked Mingus as, I believe, the greatest post-war jazz composer. His feel for themes, color, harmony, the pitch-range of varied instruments is remarkable, and his ability to encompass the entire history of jazz in his compositions is unmatched. His respect for Duke Ellington is well-known, and this recording contains his "Open Letter to Duke" (his moody version of "Mood Indigo" on another album is haunting). Also inimitable is "Theme for Lester Young" and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat." And for this session, Mingus assembled some of the greatest names in jazz: Jimmy Knepper, Shafi Handi, Booker Ervin, Danny Richmond, John Handy, Horace Parlanare just a few of the usicians. Some came out of Mingus's workshops--the best idea in music--and they came in and out of his session life until his death. But for me, the chance to hear "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" with its transcendent tenor sax solo by John Handy is reason enough to own this recording. --Alan Weitz

Jazz lovers, go and get it, surely top 10 best jazz album ever

Excelente disco de Mingus.. con un muy buen sonido, nada como el buen jazz para distraer la mente.

I’ve owned this great album on CD for years and now I own it on vinyl. You already know the music is great, If you don’t I can’t convince you.

A classic for the right reasons and a perfect introduction to the broad styles and sub-genres of jazz for novices. Bop, swing, jelly roll, Dixie land, the album has it all. While other, more popular jazz albums are landmarks for a reason - usually establishing and sustaining a mood (ahem, kind of blue), few (if any) teach. This is a master class.

Before buying this album, I read negative reviews of Ah Hum that warned people not to buy the vinyl version. I bought it because of the very low price that may have been because of those reviews. I am here to say now that new vinyl copies of this are perfect and have no issues at all. Pick it up today before the price goes back up! Its amazing.

A masterpiece. The music seems to float somewhere between Be-bop, New Orleans and the avant garde. I have it on cd, but vinyl is the way to go here. So much more sonic projection that makes it feel live.

This is my first Music on Vinyl (MoV) pressing and I must say I am very imp. The backhoe absolutely silent and the musicians sound like they are in the room with me. So alive! I had a flea market copy that got me hooked but wanted a good copy and this is it! Don’t hesitate on this one.