Charles Mingus

A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry

Artist: Charles Mingus Year: 1957 Genre: Post-Bop Grade: B+ The 11-minute opener, entitled “Scenes in the City,” is the clear highlight of Charles Mingus’ fourth LP of 1957. Featuring the spoken-word narration of Mel Stewart, the freewheeling track moves through a variety of moods, following a similar blueprint to “The Clown.” It’s the only song on the […]

The Clown

Despite the title, “The Clown” is one of Charles Mingus’ darkest masterpieces.
Grade: A

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