Jul 9 2016
Recommended: Adriano Clemente – “The Mingus Suite”
The Mingus Suite is a little bit tribute to jazz legend Charles Mingus, a little bit extrapolation of the life and perspective of composer Adriano Clemente and a whole lot of the creative spirit of both musicians. Rooted in the blues yet full of avant-garde swagger, this large ensemble work featuring the Akashmani Ensemble is true to the music and musician that inspired this project while still sounding very much rooted in the present day. There’s some old-school swing with “Blues in Rags” and there’s some old-school experimentalism with “Inner Fires” and the way it keeps surging forward then suddenly receding into a contented peace. There’s the lovely reveries like “Memories of Duke” and “For My Father” and the way they walk the dividing line between serene and funereal, and counterbalanced by the energetic chatter of the two-part “Urban Jungle” keeping things from ever getting drowsy. And then there’s the song “Circus,” which hints at a whimsical nature, but the gorgeous harmonic development of woodwinds, bowed bass and piano envelops the affair with its serious beauty.
Mingus fans can’t go wrong with this one. And, really, music this good, nobody should be unhappy loading this one up into their library.
Your album personnel: Adriano Clemente (composer, piano), Francesco Lento (trumpet), Mario Corvini (trombone), Daniele Tittarelli (alto sax), Marco Guidolotti (baritone sax, clarinet, bass clarinet) , Riccardo Fassi (piano), Dario Rosciglione (double bass), Andrea Nunzi (drums) and guests: Roberto Ottaviano (soprano sax) and Raffaele Toninelli (bowed double bass).
Released on Dodicilune Records.
Jazz from the Lecce, Italy scene.
Robert Middleton
July 13, 2016 @ 5:38 pm
Thumbs up on this one. For a band to emulate the sound of Mingus this well without any of his actual writing is quite a feat. Very listenable and glad to see the Mingus tradition continuing! RM
davesumner
July 13, 2016 @ 6:49 pm
I know, right? I kept thinking I’d look down at the credits and see Charles Mingus getting a composer attribution.
It seems like once a year, someone comes out with an album of Mingus-inspired music that sounds like a lost-long brother or sister of the original Mingus’s works.
Cheers,
Dave
Robert
July 13, 2016 @ 9:50 pm
Do you know of any other good ones? – RM
davesumner
July 14, 2016 @ 9:36 pm
Lemme poke around my lists and see what I can find. The problem is that I might not have written about the albums, which makes tracking them down problematic.
A Mingus inspired album that I still listen to (but which is comprised of non-originals, all Mingus comps) is from Whahay Trio… LINK
Cheers,
Dave