Jazz lovers can turn to the Mingus Big Band for excellent contemporary big band jazz. A very fascinating double CD of this has now been released, entitled Live in Time. The recordings were made in Fez under Time Cafe in New York. There are fifteen songs on this double CD, all written by the legendary bass player Charlie Mingus. They are performed with verve by jazz musicians such as trumpet player
… Randy Brecker, trumpet player Philip Harper, trombonist Ku-Umba Frank Lacy, baritone saxophonists Ronnie Cuber and Gary Smulyan, alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, tenor and soprano saxophonist / flutist John Stubblefield, pianist Andy Hicks McKee and drummer Adam Cruz. A linchpin of the band is alto and soprano saxophonist / flutist Steve Slagle. The opening track of Live in Time is Number 29, a composition by Mingus from 1972, which he wrote to challenge budding young trumpeters of his day. This song is followed by a beautiful ballad Diane / Alice in Wonderland. The complete horn section can be heard with solos in the exciting So Long Eric. After this closing of the first CD, the second CD starts with the swinging and cleverly composed and arranged Moanin 'Mambo. Mingus never performed Childer's Hour of Dream himself, but can be heard on CD 1 in an excellent arrangement by Sy Johnson. Another great ballad on this double is The Man Who Never Sleeps, in which Randy Brecker excels again on trumpet. The CD concludes with Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. Three nights of top jazz on which compositional gems were performed by a breathtakingly well-playing big band resulted in a double CD that jazz lovers of now and later should definitely not miss! (JW) _more
