Analogue Productions (Atlantic Series) Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records! 180-gram 45 RPM double LP Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analog tape Mingus taps blues and roots sources for a joyous swinging outing! Plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings! Gatefold old-style 'tip-on' jacket by Stoughton Printing AllMusic marks Charles Mingus' Blues & Roots as a rejoinder to the critical carping that the virtuoso bass player and accomplished jazz pianist and bandleader and his evocative music 'somehow didn't swing enough.' For this album Mingus turned to the earthiest and earliest sources of black musical expression - blues, gospel, and old-time New Orleans jazz. The resulting album ranks arguably as Mingus' most joyously swinging outing. Recorded in 1959 and released in 1960, Blues & Roots' birth was explained by Mingus in the album's liner notes: 'This record is unusual-it presents only one part of my musical world, the blues. A year ago, Nesuhi Ertegun suggested that I record an entire blues album in the style of 'Haitian Fight Song' (in Atlantic LP 1260), because some people, particularly critics, were saying I didn't swing enough. He wanted to give them a barrage of soul music: churchy, blues, swinging, earthy. I thought it over. I was born swinging and clapped my hands in church as a little boy, but I've grown up and I like to do things other than just swing. But blues can do more than just swing. So I agreed.' Anyone who had heard 'Haitian Fight Song' shouldn't have been surprised that such an album was well within Mingus' range. Mingus boosts the complexity of the music by assembling a nine-piece outfit and arranging multiple lines to be played simultaneously - somewhat akin to the Dixieland ensembles of old, but with an acutely modern flavor. That modern flavor is reinforced and enhanced by the lush Analogue Productions reissue treatment that gives this new version more depth, richer sonic execution and acute audio clarity, particularly in the higher frequencies. Expert mastering from the original master tape by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and two 45 RPM flat-as-a-table 180-gram LP platters from Gary Salstrom and his crew at Quality Record Pressings properly unveil the loose and free-swinging performance. The wider-spaced grooves promote better cartridge tracking and the silent black playing surface stays clear of the audio playback. There's no question of Mingus' firm grounding in the basics on Blues & Roots, writes AllMusic, nor of his deeply felt affinity with them. Whether the music is explicitly gospel-based - like the groundbreaking classic 'Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting' - or not, the whole album is performed with a churchy fervor that rips through both the exuberant swingers and the aching, mournful slow blues. Still, it's the blues that most prominently inform the feeling of the album, aside from the aforementioned 'Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting' and the Jelly Roll Morton tribute 'My Jelly Roll Soul.'Tracklist:1 Side A 2
Release date:
October 20, 2023
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Cut Copy Moments
Cut Copy Touring Pty Ltd
September 5, 2025 -
Chartreuse Bless You & Be Well
Communion Group Limited
August 29, 2025 -
Jerskin Fendrix Once Upon A Time. . . In Shropshire (Shropspire Mud Brown) [2xLP]
Untitled (Recs)
October 10, 2025 -
Nova Twins Parasites & Butterflies (Transparent Blue)
Marshall Records
August 29, 2025 -
The London Suede Antidepressants
Bmg
September 5, 2025 -
Field Medic Surrender Instead (Bone/Red Splatter)
Alternate Side
August 8, 2025 -
Buscabulla Se Amaba Así (Clear)
Domino Record Co
September 12, 2025 -
The Fall Seminal Live
Beggars Banquet
September 5, 2025 -
Wolf Alice The Clearing
Rca Records
August 22, 2025 -
Osees Abomination Revealed At Last
Deathgod Corp
August 8, 2025 -
Dirkschneider & The Old Gang Babylon [2xLP]
Reigning Phoenix Music America, LLC
October 3, 2025 -
Dizzy Reed Rock 'N' Roll Chose Me
50Q Records
August 22, 2025 -
Hot Mulligan The Sound a Body Makes When It's Still (Sea Blue)
Wax Bodega
August 22, 2025 -
Sir Richard Bishop Hillbilly Ragas
Drag City
September 26, 2025