Charles Mingus, Hampton Hawes, Dannie Richmond: Trio

In a rare trio date, here with outtakes, the bassist steers the music where he wants it, eliciting particularly bluesy playing from Hawes

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Charles Mingus recorded with trios on only a few occasions, but like his collaboration with Ellington and Roach on Money Jungle, they were often, unsurprisingly perhaps, memorable sessions. This is no exception. Originally released on Jubilee (JLP1054), this set has a collection of outtakes which are just as strong as the material on the original issue.

Hampton Hawes had just started to get noticed, working on the West Coast and recording for Contemporary. On this session Mingus seems to be able to get him to veer towards a more bluesy style of playing, which Hawes does impressively, mixing long passages of improvisation with fast, unpredictable lines, his playing sometimes reminiscent of Bud Powell, especially on Hamp’s New Blues.

Drummer Dannie Richmond fits in well, as he should given his history with Mingus’s Jazz Workshop, but he’s not there just to keep time (which he does expertly) or make up the numbers – he could also use explosive lines and take a tune into new areas. Adept on brushes (Yesterdays) or sticks, he effortlessly deals with time changes, as witnessed on the testing Dizzy Moods.

There are familiar standards and blues, by Mingus (Back Home Blues) and by Hawes (Hamp’s New Blues). Each player listens, responds, works around the others and allows each other space. Mingus pulls, prods and directs the players into the areas he wants them to follow, as shown on his underlying melody on Laura.

At the time Billboard praised its “inventive interplay” and “rare cohesion” and this applies to the extra takes on the second disc. Mingus features to a greater extent on these, robust and assertive, especially on I Can’t Get Started Take 4, whilst Yesterdays Take 2 is a 56-second bass solo.

Untitled Blues Takes 1 and 2 find all three players in fine form, the latter a slightly slower version, and Back Home Blues Take 6 is another expressive example of musicians delving into their roots. An excellent release.

Discography
CD1: Yesterdays; Back Home Blues; I Can’t Get Started; Hamp’s New Blues; Summertime; Dizzy Moods; Laura (38.16)
CD2: Outtakes: Untitled Blues; Untitled Blues (Take 2); Back Home Blues (Take 6); Hamp’s New Blues (Take 4); I Can’t Get Started (Take 1); Yesterdays (Take 2 – Incomplete); Dizzy Moods (Take 2); Summertime (Take 3) (37.31)
Mingus (b); Hawes (p); Richmond (d, tam). NYC, 9 July 1957.
Jubilee JCD1054