1963 Charles Mingus’s The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is widely regarded as one of his finest works, one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, and indeed one of the greatest albums of all time. In it, he explores the ideas of freedom, revolution, and even his own inner turmoil. The album is actually one single composition divided into four tracks and six movements. It was partially conceived as a ballet.
“Track A – Solo Dancer” carries a throbbing beat ahead of its time that gets your pallet ready for what’s to come, while “Track B – Duet Solo Dancers” has a more placid tempo that brings to mind a slow dance between two lovers. “Track C – Group Dancers” takes things in an entirely different direction initially, as the players all create a thunderous din that lets you know others have entered the picture in the diorama that Mingus has created. Things slow down in short order, but the track never loses sight of the feeling that there are a lot of bodies involved in this movement and their energy is throughout.
The album wraps up with “Mode D – Trio and Group Dancers”, “Mode E – Single Solos and Group Dance”, and “Mode F – Group and Solo Dance”. These three movements comprise one track – the entire second side of the album on vinyl – lasting 18+ minutes and a variety of emotions are expressed along the way. There are hints of beat, Spanish guitar, and big band influences in this long stretch and it always keeps you guessing.
Charles Mingus is a legend in jazz and any fan has to give The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady a nod.
1 Production Quality: 17
2 Relative Quality: 19
3 Artfulness: 19
4 Originality: 18
5 Technicality: 18
RATING: 91
Charles Mingus: Bass, Piano, Composer
Jerome Richardson: Soprano and Baritone Sax, Flute
Charlie Mariano: Alto Sax
Dick Hafer: Tenor Sax, Flute
Rolf Ericson: Trumpet
Richard Williams: Trumpet
Quinten Jackson: Trombone
Don Butterfield: Tuba, Contrabass Trombone
Jaki Byard: Piano
Jay Berliner: Acoustic Guitar
Dannie Richmond: Drums
