Mingus Ah Um, Charles Mingus, 1959, :57
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Far-ranging, meandering jazz, not improv but loose. I love the cacophonic blaring that is meant to evoke a flock of birds at the start of "Bird Calls." It's hard to put into words what makes this album special: it's sort of like a rock, just there, which is quite an accomplishment. Mingus' arrangements are so solid and assured that you don't even notice how complex they playing is. Fun fact: The album's title is a parody of Latin declension. It is common for Latin students to memorize Latin adjectives by first saying the masculine nominative (usually ending in "-us"), then the feminine nominative ("-a"), and finally the neuter nominative singular ("-um"), so the title implies a fictional Latin transformation of the name: Mingus, Minga, Mingum. Favorite tracks: "Better Git It in Your Soul," "Jelly Roll," "Boogie Stop Shuffle."
