After being unceremoniously dumped by
Columbia
on the same day in 1972 as
Ornette Coleman
,
Bill Evans
, and
Keith Jarrett
Charles Mingus
re-signed with
Atlantic
in 1973, home to some of his most important recordings. He released seven criminally underappreciated albums before amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) claimed his life in 1979.
Rhino
offers a comprehensive reappraisal with
Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings
.
1973's
Mingus Moves
was produced by
Neshui Ertegun
. It showcased a new band with saxophonist
George Adams
, pianist
Don Pullen
, trumpeter
Ronald Hampton
, and bassist and longtime drummer
Dannie Richmond
. Highlights include opener "Canon," the Latin-tinged "Flowers for a Lady," the knotty "Opus Four," and bonus alternates of "Big Alice" and "The Call." 1974's
Changes One
and
Changes Two
are presented in separate volumes. Among the most satisfying LPs in
Mingus
' discography, it's almost the same band, but
Jack Walrath
replaces
Hampton
. Highlights on the first include the long, suite-like "Sue's Changes" and "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love," as well as the stomping "Remember Rockefeller at Attica."
opens on the political tip with the boisterous "Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi USA," followed by a long, rhapsodic version of "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue." 1977's
Three or Four Shades of Blues
was released after
was diagnosed with ALS, but he still played bass. Recorded over two days, it features alternating lineups. Guitarists
Larry Coryell
Philip Catherine
appear on side one's blazing blues-rock read of "Better Git Hit in Your Soul" and offer glorious dueling acoustic guitars on "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat."
Coryell
John Scofield
deliver big on the title track, while
Catherine
joins
Scofield
on the swinging closer "Nobody Knows."
Richmond
Walrath
return, joined successively by saxophonists
Ricky Ford
Sonny Fortune
, bassists
George Mraz
Ron Carter
(though
plays all the solos), and pianists
Bob Neloms
Jimmy Rowles
. 1978's
Cumbia & Jazz Fusion
was recorded 19 days before its predecessor. Performed by a large cast, it consists of two side-long tracks serving as both score and soundtrack for
Elio Petri
's 1976 film Todo Modo. The album weds the rowdy, carnivalesque, 28-minute title cut and the lush, exploratory, labyrinthine, 26-minute "Todo Modo" seamlessly.
The set's final two albums,
Me, Myself an Eye
Something Like a Bird
offer large, star-studded lineups. They were recorded simultaneously and released posthumously.
could no longer play and directed the musicians from a wheelchair. The former includes the glorious,
Ellingtonian
ballad "Carolyn Kiki Mingus" and the roiling, Afro-Latin-saturated "Three Worlds of Drums."
's 31-minute title track, though unheralded at the time, is a masterpiece composed as a tribute to
Charlie Parker
.
is packaged with an illustrated booklet containing rare photos and an extensive liner essay by
Andrew Homzy
. This box presents the opportunity for a major reappraisal of this important yet under-recognized era of
' work. ~ Thom Jurek