I'll just throw in my recommendation for the MA Recordings inner sleeves. Very soft and less inclined to bunch up or crumple in tight jackets. Quite different than others out there; worth checking out, IMO.
I will grab "Pithecanthropus Erectus" but still on the fence regarding "The Clown". Its not the music, its the cover, I have an honest to goodness phobia, fear of clowns (with good reasoning). But if I keep hearing more good things about it, I'll get it and just not pay attention to the cover.
I second that. Speakers Corner ‘Mingus At Antibes’ is a great live recording that really shines with Kevin Gray’s mastering. Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ted Curson, and Dannie Richmond… plus the special appearance of Bud Powell.
The Clown is my favorite Mingus. Though I cant say Im the biggest Mingus fan. I have heard the ones mentioned here and of course Black Sinner (love) , Ah Um (love), Tijuana Moods (like ok). Antibes I cant get into. Like his early stuff East Coasting and the Bethlehem title. His aggressive personality comes out too much at times in the more wild stuff for me.
Love The Clown, though I would put P.E. firmly above it. I’m a big Mingus fan and wouldn’t go without either, though.
I really like Haitian Fight Song and the other two cuts are pretty good but I can't seem to get into Jean Shepherd's adlibbing on the title track of The Clown. I coincidently have Pithecanthropus Erectus in an order that's arriving tomorrow from AS and just for the sake of it also with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh, some Sonny Stitt & the Top Brass, Charles Tolliver/Music Inc. & Orchestra and some Ben Webster/The Warm Moods. There's also an SACD in there of Fritz Reiner/Scheherazade.
I'm holding off on The Clown as I know I have a CD of it somewhere, but never really listened to it much. I am ordering PE tomorrow along with one other record, which I have no idea what it will be right now. I saw AS got that Joan Armatrading record from Intervention back in stock, don't have any music from her and surprisingly never listened to her hardly ever. Why's there so many raves about this record/version? I have the Konitz/Marsh (great record) as well as the Stitt & Top Brass which is a very cool listen. Have "Stitt Plays Bird" also, and it's another good one.
As I remember Armatrading almost got a foothold in the US with that album. She has a haunting vocal and musical delivery that you never forget once you hear one of her tunes. Stitt Plays Bird was my introduction to Stitt and I found it totally captivating which lead me to Sonny Stitt Blows the Blues. I'm excited I could find something else in print by him.
I love The Clown, from Haitian Fight Song to the title track (vocal improv included). Haitian Fight Song is my wife's favorite Mingus tune.
I got more in the mood to listen to this yesterday and went and found my CD boxset of The Complete Atlantic Recordings which of course includes the entire record. Been a while since I listened to it, but agree on Haitian Flight Song, most excellent song and really like "Blue Cee" as well. But now I remember what turned me off to this album, the title track. (vocal improv) unfortunately does not work one bit for me and enough to keep me from buying the SC version, at least for now, but its the only song I don't like, so who knows. Interesting as I like the use of it on Russell's New York, NY record. I need to check this out. How I managed to avoid listening to her music with the line of work I was in, is a bit odd. Its not like I have not heard anything from her, but her voice never grabbed my attention for some reason. And crazy because I have been a big Kate Bush fan since day one (go figure) and still have all my original records of hers. My wife is a huge fan as well. Can 5/7 please get here so we have some new Tone Poets to discuss please....just about 18 days to go.
Outer sleeves from Bags Unlimited. Inner sleeves from wherever I can find MoFi for cheapest, most recently Crutchfield.
Tijuana Moods also. The SQ on PE and Tijuana Moods isn't as good as some of his later stuff, definitely not audiophile quality, but these pressings arne't bad. The Clown is a little better SQ and just a great record. Mingus at Antibes is a must own.
I see a couple of Gatefold options. Which one are you using? Or is there something similar to a standard sleeve with more room for a gatefold? Thanks.
The Clown is maybe the worst album cover in Jazz and is the only album I can think of that I have actively avoided because of the album cover. I don't have a fear of clowns per say, but I hate them with all of my heart. If I ever do end up with that album, the cover is going into the trash and it is going into a plain white stock sleeve where I will simply write Charles Mingus on it.
Oh my goodness, all this talk of The Clown made me curious and I looked up the album cover. You guys aren't kidding - it's terrible! I'm not afraid of every clown but I find that one to be extremely disturbing!
yup. I don't even really care how good the music is on it. There is plenty of good music out there. Ill pass on this one. lol.
Bags Unlimited makes bags that go over the whole gatefold (unfolded) so you can access the records without removing the jacket from plastic sleeve. Looks like a cool prodcut, but I don't use those. I use their regular 3 mil polyethylene sleeves in three sizes. "Snug fit" (12-5/8" square) for most single albums and some gatefolds/doubles. Regular (12-3/4") for most doubles and some triples, and the "180 gram" size (13" square) for anything that doesn't fit into the other two (typically only triple album 180g releases and stuff that's really thick). I like the bags to fit as snugly as possible to make it easier to read the spine and just keep the shelves looking a little neater.
Cover art is never a reason why I would buy an album, so it's certainly never going to be a reason why I *don't* buy one.
Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like the 13” will work for what I need. I tend to use a Mofi inner and set that behind the cover so it’s not inside. Not sure if that is the best way but it has worked so far.
Did anyone notice...Craft is doing an AAA reissue of Vince Guaraldi Trio A Boy Named Charlie Brown, remastered by Kevin Gray from the original tapes. Sweeet. I love this album. I have a copy from the 70s that is a bit crusty so will be happy for this reissue. Coming in July. Available for preorder on Amazon.
