''Pre-Bird'' (later re-released as ''Mingus Revisited'') is an album by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

bassist and composer Charles Mingus consisting of music that was composed before Mingus first heard

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

, hence the title ''Pre-Bird''. It was released on Mercury Records in September 1961. The music is scored for various sized large jazz ensembles and features many soloists prominent at the time of recording. The album includes two tracks which are

contrapuntal In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...

arrangements of two swing era pieces, whereby "

Take the "A" Train "Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. History The use of the Strayhorn composition as the signature tune was made necessary by a ruling in 1940 by the Americ ...

" (left channel) is paired with a simultaneous " Exactly Like You" (right channel), and likewise "

Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" (also written as "Do Nothin' Til You Hear from Me") is a song with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Bob Russell. It originated as a 1940 instrumental ("Concerto for Cootie") that was designed to highlight t ...

" with "

I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" is a 1938 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics added by Irving Mills, Henry Nemo and John Redmond. The song became a number one hit for Ellington in 1938. Other hit versions the same year were by Benny Goodman ...

". Tracks 1 to 3, 5 and 6 recorded May 25, 1960 probably at Plaza Sound, New York City; tracks 4, 7 and 8 recorded May 24, 1960 at Plaza Sound, New York City.

Track listing

" ( Billy Strayhorn) / " Exactly Like You" (

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, Ju ...

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include "The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (1936), " On t ...

) – 3:40 #"Prayer For Passive Resistance" – 3:57 #"Eclipse" – 4:01 #"Mingus Fingus No. 2" – 3:39 #"Weird Nightmare" - 3:42 #"

" ( Duke Ellington/ Bob Russell) / "

" ( Duke Ellington/ Irving Mills/Henry Nemo/John Redmond) - 3:41 #"Bemoanable Lady" - 4:30 #"Half-Mast Inhibition" - 8:14 ''All compositions by Charles Mingus, except where indicated''

Personnel

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...

- drums *

Gunther Schuller Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician. Biography and works Early years Schuller was born in Queens, New York City ...

- conductor * Marcus Belgrave -

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

Ted Curson Theodore Curson (June 3, 1935 – November 4, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career Curson was born in Philadelphia. He became interested in playing trumpet after watching a newspaper salesman play a silver trumpet. Curson's fath ...

- trumpet * Clark Terry - trumpet * Hobart Dotson - trumpet * Richard Williams - trumpet * Robert Di Domenica - flute *

Harry Shulman Harry A. Shulman (May 14, 1903 – March 20, 1955) was a professor at Yale Law School from 1930–1954, the Dean of Yale Law School from 1954–1955, and a prominent labor arbitrator. Early life Shulman was born in Krugloye near Mogilev (no ...

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

* Eric Dolphy - alto saxophone, flute * Booker Ervin - saxophone * Yusuf Lateef - saxophone, flute * John LaPorta - saxophone *

Danny Bank Daniel Bernard Bank (July 17, 1922 – June 5, 2010) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and flautist. He is credited on some releases as Danny Banks. He was born on July 17, 1922. Early in his career Bank played with Charlie Barnet ...

- saxophone * Bill Barron - saxophone *

Joe Farrell Joseph Carl Firrantello (December 16, 1937 – January 10, 1986), known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who primarily performed as a saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name o ...

- saxophone *

Eddie Bert Edward Joseph Bertolatus (May 16, 1922 – September 27, 2012), also known as Eddie Bert, was an American jazz trombonist. Music career He was born in Yonkers, New York, United States. Bert received a degree and a teaching license from the Manha ...

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

* Slide Hampton - trombone *

Jimmy Knepper James Minter Knepper (November 22, 1927 – June 14, 2003) was an American jazz trombonist. In addition to his own recordings as leader, Knepper performed and recorded with Charlie Barnet, Woody Herman, Claude Thornhill, Stan Kenton, Benny Goo ...

- trombone * Charles "Majeed" Greenlee - trombone *

Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...

- piano *

Roland Hanna Roland Pembroke Hanna (February 10, 1932 – November 13, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and teacher. Biography Hanna studied classical piano from the age of 11, but was strongly interested in jazz, having been introduced to i ...

- piano * Charles Mingus – bass * George Scott - drums *

Dannie Richmond Charles Daniel Richmond (December 15, 1931 – March 16, 1988) was an American jazz drummer who is best known for his work with Charles Mingus. He also worked with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond. Biography Richmond was born Charles ...

- drums * Sticks Evans - drums * Lorraine Cusson - vocals

References

1961 albums Charles Mingus albums Mercury Records albums Limelight Records albums Albums conducted by Gunther Schuller {{1960s-jazz-album-stub