Boogie Stop Shuffle

Shadi Hadi and Booker Ervin (tenor sax), Willie Dennis (trombone), Horace Parlan (piano), Charles Mingus (bass) and Dannie Richmond (drums). From the album Mingus Ah Um (1959).

Charles Mingus was an American double bassist, pianist and composer, one of the most important figures of modern jazz. Considered a double bass prodigy, his first professional work was with Barney Bigard in 1942 and the following year he toured with Louis Armstrong. He also worked with Lionel Hampton’s big band from 1947 to 1948 and formed a trio with Red Novo and Tal Farlow from 1950 to 1951.

He then moved to New York and played with Billy Taylor, Stan Getz and Art Tatum among others. In 1952 he founded Debut Records with Max Roach, which continued until 1957. He was the bassist at the famous 1953 concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell and Max Roach, which he recorded with his record company. He was also briefly a member of Duke Ellington’ big band, but he fired him for having a fight with Juan Tizol.

The theme is bursting with aggressive swing with two distinct parts. Ervin starts with a moderate but lively solo while Hadi and Dennis make a sound mattress underneath. Then the piano plays a phrase repeatedly while the wind section accompanies him with a different phrase. Next Parlan goes on to make a solo full of chords. Hadi then enters with a well articulated and sometimes energetic speech while Hadi and Dennis make a sound mattress underneath. After that, the group plays a riff to give way to Richmond’s solo, who use all kinds of resources. At the end the group re-exposes the theme and ends with a short free collective improvisation.