The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
£7.10
- Track A - Solo Dancer
- Track B-Duet Solo Dancers (Hearts Beat And Shades In Physical Embraces)
- Track C - Group Dancers
- Medley: Mode D - Trio And Group Dancers / Mode E - Single Solos And Group Dance / Mode F - Group And Solo Dance
More mysterious than the Holy Grail. - Forgive the tital, but how exactly do I define an album such as this, or indeed an artist like Mingus? This is the most undoubted five-star I have ever given, because, unlike most art, which either seems clear and gives you a good impression, or seems clear but gives you a banal impression, this does not seem clear ( in any of the multiple meanings of the term) , but gives you a transcendentally impressed feeling afterwards. Certainly, it does seem quite gloomy. The title makes me think of some sort of lost scripture, with depressing implications for the fate of mankind, and the music is a series of movements circulating around the theme of damnation and torture in chains. The sounds which emerge: thundering, percussive drums, screaming brass, heavy piano, and frankly tempestuous bass from Mingus. The one sound that redeems: the guitar. We feel as if this one voice holds the key to the redemption of the Black Saint and his Sinner Lady, and yet somehow he is still bound down in chains by a clever clash between the alternating keys of the two sections- the guitar and the rest of the orchestra. If I gave you one reason to buy it, i would say that it is the centre of Mingus s canon, and indeed, the rest of the over 17000 LPs that Impulse released in its lifetime. In its cryptic quality, it fulfils some essentia l sensory longing for coherence. In 1966, when this was recorded, Charles Mingus was undergoing, according to his Biography, some more extensive therapy for his nervous disorder. I assure you that his genius has never been as apparent as on this record, where he fights against the worldly oppression which at the same time represents his natural condition. And yet, one feels that this is the unfulfilment of his wishes. A final note, and one which every reviewer notes when dealing with this album: his psychiatrist wrote the liner notes. I think just that fact does not need explaining, and neither ( although I have hypocritically attempted to do so!) does his music. Listen and behold the beautiful Black Mirical. Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
He must be laughing - I bought an early vinyl copy of this album when it was first issued and got much amusement (as did my parents) from playing it to unsuspecting friends. Their movement, or lack of it, was most revealing. Very few noticed what the previous 5 reviewers also seem to have missed, that this is the most accomplished and most explicit musical description of sexual activity that has ever been recorded. Track 2 most obviously. When I met him at Ronnie Scott s, he confirmed that it was his favourite trap for the pretentious. Brilliant.
epic jazz masterpiece - Anyone who has enjoyed Mingus s shorter compositions and arrangements from earlier landmark LPs, for example Ah Um and Dynasty will absolutely love this, as The Black Saint... contains all of Mingus s trademark compositional techniques from those albums and much (much) more - Charles Mariano s fervent alto sax solos, the typical Mingus style slow build-up accelerating to fantastic climaxes, the Ellington-inspired orchestrations (with unusual instrumental combinations and stylistic clashes - an example being the allusions to flamenco guitar). The sheer density (both in texture and stylistic layering) have sometimes led to criticism of this album, but for me, this is what makes it so richly rewarding. This is some of the most passionate music you will ever hear.
One of Mingus s finest - I must admit that there are a fair few composers in jazz that I would put at the top of my list before Charles Mingus, (think Ellington, Nichols, Monk, Shorter, Hill, etc) yet there cannot be any more exciting opening than Track A - Solo Dancer on The Black Saint and the sinner lady. Stoked by the drums of Danny Richmond, the band swirls around the grumbling tones of the tuba in a kaleidoscope of colours, the time signatures constantly shifting before a piercing soprano solo rounds things off, pursued by the growling brass. This is nothing short of incredible. More than any other recording, this offering demonstrates the bassist s love of the music of Duke Ellington - indeed Rolf Ericson and Quentin Jackson played for the master at one time or the other. Elsewhere, Charlie Mariano s alto evokes Johnny Hodges. The second movement is even more bizarre, an over-blown 1940 s big band ballad ( a very strong theme, this one) that morphs into a barbaric vamp on one chord. Jackson s Tricky Sam influenced muted trombone is a highlight here - the only way to play the instrument to my ears. After this, there is a bit of flamenco incongruously thrown in. Listening to this over and over again, it becomes impossible to calculate what was written and was improvised. What is certain , is that this music must have taken alot of energy to perform and the rendition of the composition is brilliant, all the musicians seeming determined to ensure it s success and having huge belief in the music. Here was a composer who was familliar with the whole history of jazz and not ashamed to employ earlier devices such as the Ellingtonesque trumpets and trombone to add richness to the work. As with much of Mingus s music, there a few dull moments, particularly in the last movement and the composition as a whole could have done with a few more themes rather than the opening one that is repacitulated on many occasions. However, this is rather curmudgeonly as, after Ah, um, this is Charles Mingus s greatest recording. In conclusion , this is another essential purchase for a serious jazz collection.
Prepare to be moved - I thought after 30 years of listening to music I could no longer be surprised. Wrong. I don t think a recording has ever stunned me the way Black Saint has. It s like nothing you ve ever heard before, yet it has an emotional impact that is all too familiar and that touches your very core. It ebbs and flows with a dynamic grace and truth that is clearly a reflection of a genius, of a mind that could encapsulate all the highs and lows of the human condition like few others. Don t miss the opportunity to have this in your collection. It will truly blow you mind. The only caveat is this: every other record you have will seem tame for a long time afterwards.