Bird Calls

John Handy and Shafi Hadi (alto sax), Booker Ervin (tenor sax), Horace Parlan (piano), Charles Mingus (bass) and Dannie Richmond (drums). From the album Mingus Ah Um (1959).

In 1963, Mingus recorded the album The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, which consists of a continuous composition divided into six movements and considered one of the greatest orchestration achievements any composer has ever written in the history of jazz. In the same year he recorded Mingus Plays Piano, in which he plays without accompaniment, and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus. In 1964 he formed a sextet with Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordan, Johnny Coles, Jaki Byard and Dannie Richmond. In 1971 he published his autobiography Beneath the Underdog and in 1974 he put together a quintet with George Adams, Jack Walrath, Don Pullen and Dannie Richmond, with whom he recorded two albums.

In 1977 Mingus was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and after a year he could no longer play the double bass. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, he continued to supervise recording sessions. Before his death, he was working with Joni Mitchell on an album called Mingus, which included lyrics added by Mitchell to his compositions and played by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Jaco Pastorius. He died in Mexico in 1979 at 56 years of age.

The introduction is a short passage of chaos typical of free jazz and then the group exposes the theme at medium-fast tempo. The first one to make his solo is Ervin with very well conceived phrases trying out different motifs as his ideas arise. Parlan follows him creating moments of climax and resolution in his melodic lines. Then Handy enters with an accelerated speech without leaving time to breathe and demonstrating his skill. After that, Richmond comes in with a multicolored solo full of rhythmic prowess. Eventually, the group re-exposes the theme and ends with some high-pitched sentences.