In response to critical carping that his ambitious, evocative music somehow didn't swing enough,
Charles Mingus returned to the earthiest and earliest sources of black musical expression, namely the
blues,
gospel, and old-time
New Orleans jazz. The resulting LP,
Blues and Roots, isn't quite as wildly eclectic as usual, but it ranks as arguably
Mingus' most joyously swinging outing. Working with simple forms,
Mingus boosts the complexity of the music by assembling a nine-piece outfit and arranging multiple lines to be played simultaneously -- somewhat akin to the
Dixieland ensembles of old, but with an acutely modern flavor. Anyone who had heard
"Haitian Fight Song" shouldn't have been surprised that such an album was well within
Mingus' range, but
jazz's self-appointed guardians have long greeted innovation with reactionary distaste. After
Blues and Roots, there could be no question of
Mingus' firm grounding in the basics, nor of his deeply felt affinity with them. Whether the music is explicitly
gospel-based -- like the groundbreaking classic
"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" -- or not, the whole album is performed with a churchy fervor that rips through both the exuberant swingers and the aching, mournful slow
blues. Still, it's the
blues that most prominently inform the feeling of the album, aside from the aforementioned
"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" and the
Jelly Roll Morton tribute
"My Jelly Roll Soul." The recording session was reportedly very disorganized, but perhaps that actually helped give the performances the proper feel, since they wound up so loose and free-swinging. With a lineup including
John Handy and
Jackie McLean on alto,
Booker Ervin on tenor, frequent anchor
Pepper Adams on baritone, and
Jimmy Knepper and
Willie Dennis on trombones, among others,
Blues and Roots isn't hurting for fiery soloists, and they help make the album perhaps the most soulful in
Mingus' discography. ~ Steve Huey
![Portrait in Jazz [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0025218108812_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Portrait in Jazz [LP]")
![Moonbeams [Bonus Track]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/8436542012775_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Moonbeams [Bonus Track]")
![Power To The People [Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888072534186_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Power To The People [Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series]")
