A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry

Infobox Album
Name = A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry
Type = studio
Artist = Charles Mingus


Released = 1957
Recorded = October 1957
Genre = Jazz
Length = 57 min 29 sec
Label = Bethlehem
Producer =
Reviews =
* Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0xftxqwgldte link]
* "Penguin Guide to Jazz" (8th ed.) rating|3|4
Last album = "East Coasting"
(1957)
This album = "A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry"
(1957)
Next album = "Mingus in Wonderland" (1959)

"A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry" is an album by jazz bassist Charles Mingus. In spite of the title, the album does not contain any poetry.Allmusicguide|1=10:0xftxqwgldte] "Scenes in the City", however, includes narration performed by Melvin Stewart and written by actor Lonnie Elders with assistance from Langston Hughes.cite album-notes |title=A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry |bandname=Charles Mingus |year=1957 |first=Nat |last=Hentoff |authorlink=Nat Hentoff |pages=pp. 3-6 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Bethlehem Records/Shout! Factory |publisherid=DK 37964 |location= |mbid=829c0be3-2ac4-4f46-8e4c-de3cc7c5788f ] The composition "Duke's Choice" re-appears, in updated form, as "I X Love" on the 1963 album "Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus".cite book |title=Myself when I Am Real |last=Santoro |first=Gene |authorlink= |year=2000 |publisher=Oxford University Press US |location=New York |isbn=0195147111 |pages=p. 413 ] cite book |title=Giant Steps |last=Mathieson |first=Kenny |authorlink= |year=1999 |publisher=Canongate US |location= |isbn=0862418593 |pages=p. 217 ] Nat Hentoff identifies "Nouroog" as the precursor to "I X Love". cite album-notes |title=Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus |bandname=Charles Mingus |year=1963 |first=Nat |last=Hentoff |authorlink=Nat Hentoff |pages=pp. 2-10 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Impulse! Records |publisherid=IMPD-170 |location= |mbid=b15d505e-6178-4706-95d1-775e56f1bb2b ] "Nouroog", "Duke's Choice" and "Slippers" form the basis of the suite "Open Letter to Duke" on "Mingus Ah Um".cite album-notes |title=Mingus Ah Um |bandname=Charles Mingus |year=1998 | notestitle =Charles Mingus |first=Brian |last=Priestley |authorlink=Brian Priestley |pages=pp. 17-20 |format=CD booklet |publisher=Sony Music |publisherid=CK 65512 |location= |mbid=b15d505e-6178-4706-95d1-775e56f1bb2b ] "The Penguin Guide to Jazz" gives the album a three-star review (of a possible four stars), and describes it as "an opportunity for Mingus to experiment with texts and with pure sound".cite book|last=Cook|first=Richard|authorlink=Richard Cook|coauthors=Brian Morton|title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings|origyear=1992|edition=8th ed.|series=The Penguin Guide to Jazz|year=2006|publisher=Penguin|location=New York|language=English|isbn=0-141-02327-9|pages=p. 907] The "Penguin" editors furthermore cite Clarence Shaw's performance on "New York Sketchbook" as "the best trumpet heard on a Mingus album for some time before or since".

Track listing

All titles by Charles Mingus, except where noted.
# "Scenes in the City" (Music: Mingus; Narrative: Elders, Hughes) – 11:55
# "Nouroog" – 4:52
# "New York Sketchbook" – 8:55
# "Duke's Choice" – 6:27
# "Slippers" – 3:29
# "Woody 'N' You"* (Gillespie) – 8:44
#* Mistitled "Wouldn't You" on earlier releases
# "Bounce" – 9:22
# "Slippers (Alternate Take)" – 3:50

Personnel

* Charles Mingus – bass
* Jimmy Knepper – trombone
* Shafi Hadi – tenor and alto saxophone
* Bill Hardman – trumpet (on "Nouroog")
* Clarence Shaw – trumpet (except on "Nouroog")
* Dannie Richmond – drums
* Horace Parlan – piano (on "Nouroog", "Duke's Choice", "Slippers"; left hand during final solo on "New York Sketchbook")
* Bob Hammer – piano (on remaining tracks)
* Melvin Stewart – voice (narration on "Scenes in the City")

References