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Changes Two

Charles Mingus - Changes Two Audio CD

A fair review of the Charles Mingus "Changes Two" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Charles Mingus reviews here, or go back to the Charles Mingus tabs.

Band: Charles Mingus
Title: Changes Two
Rating:

Release Date: 1993-08-17
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U.S.A. 2: Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk 3: Black Bats and Poles 4: Duke Ellington's Sound of Love 5: For Harry Carney

Third Period Masterpiece
It just flows, for all of its surface eruptions. It's too easy to take this disc lightly. Where's the screaming Wildman? And he's even playing with people who hang out on the Free Jazz fence! Late Style, Baby! Check it out! And all those tricky changes and grooves - definitely reaching forward to what is common rhythm section practice today. But do any of those rhythm sections swing like this one? And let's talk about Don Pullen for a second. He was really, as far as I know, the last of a line. A really good, but essentially conventional Jazz Pianist. . . Wait! You say. Now he's really gone off the deep end. Conventional? With all those clusters in Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress? Yes, but listen more deeply. . . beautiful comping, a total knowledge and understanding of the chords of each piece, tasty, REALLY swinging. There was a school of Jazz Piano that advanced with each innovation but remained committed to the structures and strictures of Jazz Form. Who has mastered this since Pullen? On another note:it's so interesting that the chords on Duke Ellington's Sound of Love are virtually all Strayhorn (Lush Life) - there's a long thesis here, somewhere. What other influences can you hear here? Nino Rota and Martin Denny (check out George Adams' Nature Boy quote) on For Harry Carney? But, really, is this a shout - out to Les Plus Belles Africaines? Exotica and Rock Rhythms to more-or-less the same measure as on Duke's late period Masterwork. And maybe some later Miles (Heavens Forfend!) on Black Bats And Poles. But, whatever. . . this is a MINGUS record. And a pretty great one at that. Oh, by the way Danny Richmond plays great. As do Adams and Walrath (well, he's Very Good. . . ). As does Mingus. But you knew that, right?.

Mingus' second late-career milestone
Which means, "An excellent album, even if it's not in the top class of Mingus albums". So yes, Changes Two is about as good as Changes One. There's not really a bad song on this album (though the vocal version of "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" is nice but needless), but the only song saving it from 3. 5 stars is "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk", which messes with your head with an ever-shifting arrangement. I actually think this was the first studio version ever released of "Dress" - a live favorite dating back to the '60s - and it's really worth hearing. Most the rest is pretty good, like the swinging "Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U. S. A. ", the lively bop song "Black Bats and Poles", and the eerie, lingering closer "For Harry Carney". However, none of these are must-haves, unlike the first two tracks of Changes One, though song-for-song this one has its predecessor beat. We'll call 'em even, then, since while Two is more consistent, One has overall better songs, though also the lone flop of the project. Both discs are close to essential for any self-respecting Mingus collection anyway. Might as well get them both together, you know? In fact, a double-album that contains the best moments of both discs (taking off "Sue's Changes" and the vocal version of "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love").

Mingus the Fantastic!
"Free Cell Block F" is a monster challenge for any musician to play, beginning with five sets of 8th note triplets in 5/4! for one bar, then shifting to 4/4, then back to 5/4 and 4/4. This is one of Mingus' finest albums. And I swear, the tempos get torridly fast on a couple of the tunes. George Adams really knew how to interpret Mingus' work. He and Walrath sound tight together. There is no "BEST" Mingus album. But this rates as one of the "BEST. ".

Mingus Thrills; Perhaps His Best Later Period Album!
"Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U. This is an excellent work by the great jazz composer and bassist, dense, full of tone colors, and extremely well recorded. S. A. " is about as good as anything Mingus has ever done; and is definitely one of the best of his later compositions. The opening riff breaks into a deeply satisfying tenor solo by George Adams. Colors and tones fly everywhere, it's a near-perfect combination of straight-ahead and the avant-garde. It also features a beautiful piano solo by Don Pullen, and, of course, the incomparable Dannie Richmond mixing things up on drums. There's a lush, almost traditional sound to the piano, yet Mingus and the band always keeps things interesting and off-balance. The trips up and down the scales have an almost jokey feeling to them (as does some of the piano on Track 2), but the music comes at you with such force and density that the song maintains its power. For Mingus fans, this piece alone justifies the purchase of this album.

Another great Mingus title (literally) is "Orange was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue. " This gets the Mingus film noire treatment, it's expressive and cinematic and hints at mystery. At two minutes it swings into full gear, with excellent interplay between Adams and Jack Walrath (trumpet). It's similar in conception to Track 1: A lush orchestral sound meeting twists and flourishes of the "3rd Wave. " Pullen has a magnificently expressive, beautiful piano piece, and Mingus comps superbly. It's hard to decide whether this or `Free Cell Block' is the better composition. There's some jumbly piano poundings at the end--I think it's a bit overdone--but Mingus reigns it in, and the sax and densely arranged instrumentation brings it all back home. Mingus' bass is supremely rich and soulful, and he and George Adams really tear it up at the song's finale.

"Black Bats and Poles" is a full-bodied piece that's a little too amped for me-there's almost an electronic Miles Davis sound to Walrath's trumpet that, for me, didn't quite work. Periodically, Mingus and Pullen break free from a dull, repeated 3-note background riff to liven things up. George Adams has some excellent solos against the changing tempos.

Jackie Paris is the "guest vocalist" on "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love. " I like Mingus' very personal lyrics, but I don't think Paris added much to the piece. At about two minutes, there's a very good (albeit too brief ) Ben Websterish solo by Adams, and here and there orchestral sounds that recall Ellington. I really didn't like the song much on first hearing, but am beginning to appreciate it more now (especially as I hear the lyrics). An instrumental version appears on "Changes One. " Track 5 is another tribute, this time with a moody atmosphere and a blues-like bass riff. This is a powerful number with surging drums and bass, thoughtful and beautifully played sax, and Pullen's crisp yet soulful playing. The latter is simply outstanding. This time, Walrath gets a more pinched sound from the trumpet, again recalling Miles, but with a mute. Every solo on this composition is excellent, and the unifying theme and rhythm complete a solid melody. Overall, this is an excellent, joyous CD. I recommend it highly, especially for those who haven't heard much of the Mingus' later output. Clearly, his genius is with him.

Crazy... crazy crazy crazy crazy...
It was like my entire body shut off from the power of the music. The first time I heard this album, I was paralyzed. I was new to jazz at the time, and knew the standard "Real Book" tunes and the Berklee College of Music style of playing them. In marched one my friends with this album, and my entire take on jazz was changed. I've always been intrigued by the natural fluctuation between chaos and order in the world, and this particular Mingus work puts that idea into sound. The songs start out fairly straight-forward, although the harmony and the progressions involved are still very complex (Duke Ellington's Sound of Love is surprisingly difficult to figure out). The improvisations start out fairly standard, but as they keep going, the music starts slowly spiraling into a frenzy of energy and chaos that completely envelops you. You can feel the raw power of the music running through you as it gets more and more out there. Eventually the climax of insanity subsides and the song wraps up in a way that always seems symmetrical to the beginning (not just musically, but emotionally), leaving you the refreshing feeling that comes only from the resolution of massive amounts of musical tension.
Orange Was the Color of Her Dress. . . what can be said? This is a masterpiece, and in my opinion, the best recording of the song is on this album. Pullen's piano work on here will stun you, ranging from complex chord scales to just. . . the total destruction of his piano by about half way through the song. Like I said before, I was paralyzed by it. The songs all seem to take a trip through the wild side this same way, but this particular one was probably the most intense.
This album will change the way you listen to music if you're ready to hear it. It's an album for people who need to feel their music more than they need to hear it.

You can see a complete list of all Charles Mingus discography, or go back to the Charles Mingus tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.