mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (02/22/85)
Full title: MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MONTEREY, 1965, NOT HEARD, PLAYED IN ITS ENTIRETY AT UCLA (East Coasting Records) The story of this album is almost as interesting as the music itself. As the name indicates, Mingus wrote the music for the 1965 Monterey Jazz festival. However, for various contradictory reasons, he was only alloted 20 minutes of stage time and could only do part of it. A week later, he took the same band to UCLA, where the whole music was played. Mingus was issuing records on the mail order only East Coasting records. He got the masters and issued this album. A few hundred copies were made. Then hard times set in and East Coasting went to the great record store in the sky. The master tapes were stored at an RCA vault in New York. Some years later, with financial fortunes smiling upon him, Mingus sought to reissue the record and contacted RCA. However, in 1971, RCA was closing down its NYC recording operations, specifically that vault. Not wanting to trouble with contacting everyo one it had tapes for, RCA ran ads in the trade papers. Mingus, who did not read the trades, never found out, and the masters were destroyed. The album thus became one of the rarest of the rare. Mingus' widow, and a producer/enthusiast have gotten some $$$ together and revived East Coasting records. The first product is this. The band was Mingus' quartet: Mingus, Dannie Richmond, Charles McPherson and Lonnie Hillyer, augmented by a brass/reed quartet (trumpet, baritone, trombone, tuba). This music is imperfect in many respects, lack of rehearsal time the most evident. At one point, Mingus sends the quartet backstage for practice "to figure this thing out". While waiting for them, he takes McPherson , Hillyer and Richmond through a rousing "Muskrat Ramble". The composed music is powerfully conceived, however, with a sober, somber dirge calleed "They trespass the land of the sacred Sioux", especially affecting. McPherson and Hillyer are especially effective, with the former's wounded eagle alto tone wailing and the latter bright mid register trumpet sparkling throughout. The concert was recorded by UCLA technical dept students, which also led to problems: dropouts, some phase shifts, etc. By any conventional measure, the concert should have been a disaster. With any other leader it would have been. But Mingus thrived on risk, always experimenting, unafraid to fail, challenging himself, his bands and his audiences. This album is successful BECAUSE it is imperfect. It provides a rare glimpse in the joys and frustrations of the music making process, and the indomitable will of the leader himself. The mastering quality is excellent: half speed, virgin vinyl ,etc. You also get a 7 inch (45 size, played at 33) of what was played at Monterey. There are copious liner notes, plus some original cartoons decribing Mingus' fight with bootleggers. AND this is a limited edition, with every records numbered. In these days of zillion track recording technology and sonically perfect, layered, DULL music, this record is a throw back to days when you had to get it down on the first shot 'cause you could not save it in the mix. Somehow I find imperfection under pressure more impressive Marcel Simon
Braun%PCO@CISL-SERVICE-MULTICS.ARPA (Braun) (02/25/85)
I'm interested in obtaining this LP. Is is available at ones local record store (like Tower) ? Or is this a mail order operation. The current label is East Coast Records? Thanks for any additional info.
mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (02/28/85)
> I'm interested in obtaining this LP. Is is available at ones local > record store (like Tower) ? Or is this a mail order operation. The > current label is East Coast Records? Thanks for any additional info. You should be able to find it at places like Tower. I got my copy at J&R Music World, Tower's biggest competitor here in New York. If your local resord store does not carry it, contact the label at East Coasting Records P. O. Box 866 New York, NY 10023 Good luck! Marcel Simon