The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop* – Pithecanthropus Erectus

This is a wonderful album, and the title track is one of Mingus’s most ambitious and exciting pieces. The ensemble interplay through constantly shifting tempos and dynamics is breathtaking in its fluidity and inventiveness. I still vividly remember hearing the title track for the first time, aged eighteen, and having my mind utterly blown! However, the recording quality of the entire album is disappointing—and it doesn’t seem to be the fault of any particular pressing or edition. I have several versions of the LP on vinyl and CD, all of which sound a bit muffled and lacking in vividness, space and separation. The original sessions were recorded in mono, and do not compare well with other mono jazz recordings of the same era. I have an ‘electronically reprocessed for stereo’ version of “Pithecanthropus Erectus” on the Atlantic ‘Best of Charles Mingus’ LP, and although it sounds different from the mono version it’s certainly not an improvement on it. Perhaps this is just one of those albums in which the recording process didn’t serve the brilliance of the music as well as it might have done.

I can't imagine that the recording quality was the best for it being released in 1956, but for what it is, this sounds pretty great! Most of the instruments sound nice, but have a dry sound to them, the drums especially. Besides this, the album sounds full and provides pretty awesome music (which always helps). Can't compare to any other pressing, but my ears like what they hear.

Flat, quiet records. Amazing album, great music, recorded sound is OK but nothing special. Saxes sound great, though. Jackie McLean fans, do not hesitate on this one! (Yes, the song "Profile of Jackie" refers to McLean). Certainly the extraordinary Mingus treatment of "A Foggy Day" makes a strong impact here. At times, however, the sound comes off a little cluttered or congested rather than clear and detailed.

After I spun this for the first time, I immediately wanted to go get all my Mingus records off the shelf and listen to them one after another, so despite any quibbles I may have, this pressing certainly communicates the man's genius.

Packaging is gorgeous, including two wonderfully clear black and white photos of the famous visage of Charles Mingus inside the gatefold.

Disc 1 Flat, silent, plays well with no issues Disc 2 Flat, silent, plays well with no issues SOUNDS WOW

Were we to expect pictures of John Coltrane inside the gatefold? I have 2. Nice ones but I was not aware Mr Coltrane was a contributor to that record.

Top notch all around - great music and very good pressing. I definitely have a pro-Mingus bias, but a nice combination of very interesting but still very accessible music.

Discographical note: my deep groove copy came with the original wax paper-like inner sleeve. Also the cardboard cover is too small for the record! Once I got the record out of the sleeve there was no way to get it back in without damaging the original cardboard sleeve. Just an odd observation here. This one ends up with the cardboard sleeve, the fragile wax paper inner kept outside of the sleeve, and the wet vacuumed vinyl in a mofi sleeve all held together in one of those heavy resealable mylars. I get the feeling whoever originally bought the record had never taken it out of the sleeve, and I was the first person to pull it out when I got a copy at the St Vincent de Paul thrift store almost 50 years later! Also got an original pressing of Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter songbook (also had wax paper-like inners, even though that's on Verve), Tenor Madness, Bud Powell on Clef with the weird surrealistic cover, and a really choice Lionel Hampton LP where they've got him dressed up with a crown and ermine robe on the front... Pretty good haul that day! All the vinyl was VG Plus or better... The Bud Powell sleeve had some wear, but somebody had some pretty good taste in music for 1956, and thanks to whoever donated them to my local St Vincent de Paul!

I suppose maybe it's a bit of cork-sniffing (well we are on discogs so...) but I wonder how many record companies were using those weird wax paper like sleeves in the 50s? None of those wax paper like sleeves deposited anything on the vinyl, unlike some of the later polyvinyl inners that ruin records (I'm looking at you RCA)...

Okay pressing and not very expensive, I still see sealed copies floating around out there. The more recent Speakers Corner pressing is the one to have if you're not going to buy an original, in fact I have an original deep groove and it's not a particularly stellar pressing, compared to say Blue Note and Prestige of the same period, Atlantic and slightly later Epic pressings don't seem to be particularly well mastered or pressed.

Is it really limited edition though, is it??? word word

Absolute beauty. Not often seen in the US. Great mono sound