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Bayard, Hulett, Lomax: Trio Plays Mingus

By Karl Ackermann
May 27, 2022
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Bayard, Hulett, Lomax: Trio Plays Mingus

In the year that would have been

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus' one-hundredth birthday, there is no shortage of reissues, tribute albums, and previously unreleased sessions such as The Lost Album from

Ronnie Scott

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Ronnie Scott's (Resonance Records, 2022). But for drummer & composer

" data-original-title="" title="">Dr. Mark Lomax, II, the musical legacy of Mingus has special meaning. His Trio Plays Mingus gives new life to classic Mingus compositions and incorporates a couple of lesser-known works.

Mingus preferred the big band format, and recorded only one leader album in a trio. That early, self-titled album (Jubilee Records, 1963) featured

Hampton Hawes

piano
1928 - 1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Hampton Hawes on piano and included only two Mingus tunes. He recorded earlier in a

Bud Powell

piano
1924 - 1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Bud Powell trio, and later (1976) with

Red Norvo

vibraphone
1908 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Red Norvo. Lomax, whose twelve- disc 400: An Afrikan Epic (CFG Multimedia, 2019) was a significant contribution to the celebration of Black America, was born at the time of Mingus' death. He felt a kinship with the bassist through a shared vision of civil rights; both found an outlet for the pursuit of freedom through their music. Lomax is joined on Trio Plays Mingus by long-time colleagues saxophonist

Edwin Bayard

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Edwin Bayard and bassist

Dean Hulett

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Dean Hulett.

"Better Get Hit In Your Soul," from Mingus Ah Um (Sony, 1959), takes the uninhibited original a step further with Bayard's wildly open interpretation. Still dark, but less of a ballad, Mingus'

Lester Young

saxophone
1909 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Lester Young classic "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" takes on a dreamy, serpentine air. The more unfamiliar works are Jack Walrath's "Black Bats and Poles"—from Mingus' Changes Two (Atlantic Records, 1975)—and the Mingus ballad, "Eclipse" from Pre-Bird (Mercury, 1961), later re-released as Mingus Revisited (Limelight, 1965). "Eclipse" was scored for a Mingus' full jazz orchestra; the original was a relatively brief, dissonant paean. The Lomax trio version nicely condenses the lyrical elements in their spare treatment of the piece.

Celebrating Mingus sometimes necessitates separating the man from his music. Even at that, the bassist had both deep social convictions and a volatile, sometimes violent demeanor. Trio Plays Mingus lets the music speak for itself and adds to the originals with inimitable readings and top-notch musicianship. Lomax explains his take on Mingus' compositions in his notes: "His music says life is complicated but if you take the time to look deeply, it's also very beautiful. For all these reasons; the personal, musical, and cultural influence he had, we celebrate him."

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Track Listing

Better Get Hit In Your Soul; Eclipse; Black Bats and Poles; Goodbye Pork Pie Hat; Nostalgia In Times Square.

Personnel

Dr. Mark Lomax, II

drums

Edwin Bayard

saxophone, tenor

Dean Hulett

bass

Additional Instrumentation

Edwin Bayard: soprano saxophone.

Album information

Title: Trio Plays Mingus | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: CFG Multimedia

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