I've had a minor interest in Mingus for years -- had several LPs, made myself a Mingus cassette when I dumped the LPs, made myself a Mingus CD-R when I dumped the cassettes -- dubbed a couple Mingus concerts to CD-R for a friend of mine -- used to have Joni Mitchell's tribute album to him.
Yesterday I ran across, for cheap, a 5-CD box of:
- Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956)
- East Coasting (1957)
- Mingus Ah Um (1959)
- Mingus Dynasty (1960)
- Blues & Roots (1960)
I'm marveling at his modern sound, the unbelievable colors he pulled out a small big band. His constructions were very unlike "jazz" and more like chamber classical music. I'm digging it severely.
Have re-ordered Joni's album.