Let My Children Hear Music

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Cat No: PPANKC31039

Release Date: 01 March 2010

Label: Pure Pleasure Records

Packaging Type: Slip Sleeve (CD or Vinyl)

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 5060149621134

Genres: Jazz

Description
180g audiophile vinyl reissue includes insert of Charles Mingus essay. Re-mastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London.

On the original LP issued by Columbia, Mingus thanked producer Teo Macero for "his untiring efforts in producing the best album I have ever made." From his deathbed in Mexico in 1979 he sent a message to Sy Johnson (who was responsible for many of the arrangements on the album), saying that Let My Children Hear Music was the record he liked most from his career. Although Mingus' small-group recordings are the ones most often cited as his premier works, this album does, in fact, rank at the top of his oeuvre and compares favourably with the finest large-ensemble jazz recordings by anyone, including Ellington.

From the opening, irresistible swing of "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jiveass Slippers" to the swirling depths of "The I of Hurricane Sue," these songs are some of the most glorious, imaginative, and full of life ever recorded. Each piece has its own strengths, but special mention should be made of two. "Adagio Ma Non Troppo" is based entirely on a piano improvisation played by Mingus in 1964 and issued on Mingus Plays Piano. Its logical structure, playful nature, and crystalline moments of beauty would be astounding in a polished composition; the fact that it was originally improvised is almost unbelievable. "Hobo Ho," a holy-roller powerhouse featuring the impassioned tenor of James Moody, reaches an incredible fever pitch, the backing horns volleying riff after riff at the soloists, the entire composition teetering right on the edge of total chaos.

'Let My Children Hear Music' is a towering achievement and a must for any serious jazz fan. Included is the essay that accompanied the album. That essay, covering enormous territory, reads like an inspired Mingus bass solo and should be sought out by interested listeners. One can't recommend this album highly enough.
Tracklisting