Duke Ellington / Charles Mingus / Max Roach – Money Jungle LP

Description

Duke Ellingtonsurprised the jazz world in 1962 with his historic trio session featuringCharles MingusandMax Roach. Not in a mood to simply rework older compositions, the bulk of the LP focused on music he wrote specifically for the session. “Money Jungle” is a thunderous opener, a blues that might be classified somewhere between post-bop and avant-garde. The gem of the date is the fragile, somewhat haunting ballad “Fleurette Africaine,” whereMingus‘ floating bassline andRoach‘s understated drumming add to the mystique of anEllingtonwork that has slowly been gathering steam among jazz musicians as a piece worth exploring more often. “Very Special” is a jaunty upbeat blues, while the angular, descending line of “Wig Wise” also proves to be quite catchy.Ellingtonalso revisits “Warm Valley” (a lovely ballad indelibly associated withJohnny Hodges) and an almost meditative “Solitude.” Thunderous percussion and wild basslines complement a wilder-than-usual approach to “Caravan.” Every jazz fan should own a copy of this sensational recording session. -All Music Guide