Summary
Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland is a live album by jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, recorded in 1959 and released on the United Artists label in September of that year.[1][2][3] The original release was titled Jazz Portraits, and a subsequent edition was titled Wonderland, leading to the combined title of Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland.
| Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | September 1959[1][2] | |||
| Recorded | January 16, 1959 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 44:11 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Producer | Alan Douglas | |||
| Charles Mingus chronology | ||||
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| Jazz Portraits Cover | ||||
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| Wonderland Cover | ||||
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Composition edit
Both "Alice's Wonderland" and "Nostalgia in Times Square" were originally written for the 1959 John Cassavetes film Shadows as part of a full soundtrack, but Mingus’ music was almost entirely replaced for the final version of the film. A partial reconstruction of the soundtrack was released in 2015 as the compilation album Shadows.
A reworked version of "Nostalgia in Times Square," with vocals by Honi Gordon, was recorded during Mingus' 1959 Mingus Dynasty sessions and included on reissues of that album as a bonus track titled "Strollin'".
Though never a major part of Mingus’ repertoire, "Nostalgia in Times Square" has since become a jazz standard, widely performed and recorded by other musicians.[4] Notably, jazz fusion trio Medeski Martin & Wood have long performed the song, usually as part of a medley with Sun Ra’s “Angel Race.”[5]
Reception edit
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow called the music "advanced bop that looks toward the upcoming innovations of the avant-garde and is frequently quite exciting".[6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [7] |
Track listing edit
- All compositions by Charles Mingus except as indicated
- "Nostalgia in Times Square" – 12:18
- "I Can't Get Started" (Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin) – 10:08
- "No Private Income Blues" – 12:51
- "Alice's Wonderland" – 8:54
- Recorded at the Nonagon Art Gallery in New York City on January 16, 1959
Personnel edit
- Charles Mingus – bass
- John Handy – alto saxophone
- Booker Ervin – tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 3 & 4)
- Richard Wyands – piano
- Dannie Richmond – drums
References edit
- ^ a b "September Album Releases" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. 19 September 1959. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Jazz Portraits". The Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. 7 September 1959. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- ^ Charles Mingus discography accessed June 8, 2011
- ^ "Nostalgia in Times Square by Charles Mingus". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ Corroto, Mark. "Medeski, Martin & Wood: Free Magic: Live (Review)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ a b Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed June 8, 2011
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 140. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1002. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.