Compiled by Esa Onttonen
Last updated: August 8, 2004
This page tries to clarify the seven broadcasts that were made from Birdland in New York City between October 21, 1961 and October 26, 1962. These WADO AM (1280) broadcasts were taped by Boris Rose, hence the reference to "Boris Rose tapes". He manufactured acetates from those tapes and the recordings were released on (his own?) bootleg labels such as Alto, Ozone, Session Disc and Yadeon. None of this material has been legitimately released (a hint to Revenge Records, if you still exist).
The most important audio source for this discography is an unissued "connoisseur set" on three CD-R's called "The Complete Birdland Broadcasts 1961-1962". This set includes all seven broadcasts with radio announcements and is mastered from four reels (inserts for these reels, scanned as JPEG files: Tape No. 1 (98 kb), Tape No. 2 (94 kb), Tape No. 3 (93 kb), Tape No. 4 (86 kb)) that were recorded from acetates made by Boris Rose from his original reels. I have used this set for all timings which I have measured with an audio software. The timings do not include any count-ins, introductions etc. unless there is music going on, for example under Symphony Sid's speech. The timings are as accurate as possible with -/+ 1 second marginal.
For comparisons I've also used the following releases from my own collection: "Vital Savage Horizons" (Alto AL 714), "Live At Birdland 1962" (Jazz View COD 028), "Charles Mingus" (Frequenz 044-011) and some miscellaneous sources that have accumulated over the years. For other releases I've relied on the information provided by Luigi Turrino (Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704, Musica Jazz 2 MJP 1067, Jazzman JM 11741).
The discographical data is based on Priestley's Mingus discography and has been compared to other relevant discographies such as Tom Lord's The Jazz Discography Volume 15 and Michael Fitzgerald's Henry Grimes Discography. For session artist titles I've used announcements by Pee Wee Marquette and Symphony Sid, but basically this is Charles Mingus And The Jazz Workshop All Stars all the way.
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P.S. This discography is for informational purposes only. I do not sell, copy or trade any of these recordings.
| 1961-10-21 | Charlie Mingus And His Jazz Workshop |
Date: October 21, 1961 (live)
Location: Birdland, New York City
Charles Mingus (ldr), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Roland Kirk (ts, manzello, stritch), Yusef Lateef (ts), Charles Mingus (p), Doug Watkins (b), Dannie Richmond (d), Pee Wee Marquette (mc)
| a. | [unknown title] | 7:12 | Alto AL 714 (BAT 5-8, Frequenz 044-011) | |
| b. | Ecclusiastics (Mingus) | 9:15 | Alto AL 714 (BAT 5-8) | |
| c. | Hog Callin' Blues (incomplete; fade-out) (Mingus) | 3:08 | BAT 5-8 |
Notes:
[1] Despite Mingus's introduction the first item (track a) bears no relationship to Blue Cee (Priestley, 1983). It is possible that this composition was later recorded on November 6, 1961 for Atlantic and is one of the unissued tracks that were destroyed in the Atlantic Records vault fire in February 1978. The solo order is Kirk, Mingus, Lateef and Knepper.
[2] On Alto AL 714 all introductions by Mingus and Pee Wee Marquette have been edited away. The titles, Improvisation (track a) and Ecclestiastes (track b), are also incorrect/mistitled.
[3] On Frequenz 044-011 liner notes incorrectly claim Roland Hanna on piano and Mingus on bass. The first track (a) is also misidentified as Blue Cee.
| 1962-03-24 | Charlie Mingus Workshop All Stars |
Date: March 24, 1962 (live)
Location: Birdland, New York City
Charles Mingus (ldr), Richard Williams (tp), Charles McPherson (as), Booker Ervin (ts), Toshiko Akiyoshi (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d), Symphony Sid Torin (mc)
| a. | [Dead Air w/ Symphony Sid] | 1:04 | unissued - | |
| b. | Take The "A" Train (Strayhorn) | 10:36 | Session Disc 118 (BAT 5-8, Frequenz 044-011, Jazz View COD 028, Musica Jazz 2 MJP 1067) | |
| c. | Fables Of Faubus (Mingus) | 10:45 | Session Disc 118 (BAT 5-8, i Maestri del Jazz Vol. V n. 61 / MJ 1061-1, Jazz View COD 028, Musica Jazz 2 MJP 1067) | |
| d. | Eat That Chicken (theme) (Mingus) | 2:35 | Session Disc 118 (BAT 5-8) | |
| dd. | Eat That Chicken (incomplete; fade-out) (Mingus) | 0:09 | Jazz View COD 028 |
Notes:
[1] Some sources (Frequenz 044-011, Jazz View COD 028, The Mingus Discography by Lindenmaier/Salewski) list Jaki Byard as pianist but he didn't play with Mingus at Birdland until October 18, 1962 (Priestley, 1983, p. 143).
| 1962-03-31 | Charlie Mingus And The Jazz Workshop All Stars |
Date: March 31, 1962 (live)
Location: Birdland, New York City
Charles Mingus (ldr), Richard Williams (tp), Charles McPherson (as), Booker Ervin (ts), Toshiko Akiyoshi (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d), Symphony Sid Torin (mc)
| a. | Monk, Funk Or Vice Versa (Mingus) | 10:41 | Alto AL 714 (BAT 5-8, Frequenz 044-011) | |
| b. | Oh Lord Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me (Mingus) | 7:33 | BAT 5-8 | |
| c. | Eat That Chicken (Mingus) | 2:14 | BAT 5-8 |
Notes:
[1] On Frequenz 044-011 liner notes the pianist is incorrectly listed as Jaki Byard.
| 1962-05-05 | Charlie Mingus Workshop All Stars |
Date: May 5, 1962 (live)
Location: Birdland, New York City
Charles Mingus (ldr), Richard Williams (tp [a,c,d,e]), Charles McPherson (as [a,c,d,e]), Booker Ervin (ts [a,c,d,e]), Toshiko Akiyoshi (p [b,c]), Henry Grimes (b [b,d,e]), Charles Mingus (p [a,d,e], b [c]), Herman Wright (b [a]), Dannie Richmond (d), Symphony Sid Torin (mc)
| a. | Eat That Chicken (Mingus) | 3:09 | BAT 5-8 (Jazzman JM 11741, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) | |
| b. | Reets And I (Harris) | 6:41 | BAT 5-8 (Jazzman JM 11741, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) | |
| c. | Monk, Funk Or Vice Versa (Mingus) | 10:06 | BAT 5-8 (Jazzman JM 11741, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) | |
| d. | Devil Woman (Mingus) | 9:27 | BAT 5-8 (Jazzman JM 11741, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) | |
| e. | Eat That Chicken (theme) (Mingus) | 1:06 | BAT 5-8 (Jazzman JM 11741, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) |
Notes:
[1] Devil Woman (track d) is not listed by Priestley (1983).
[2] According to Priestley (1983), Benny Harris's Reets And I (track b) is played by Akiyoshi, Grimes, Wright and Richmond. However, I only hear one bass player and also based on the Mingus's introduction of the whole band ("... and that was Herman Wright on bass, Henry Grimes on the bass solo, just changed places...") and Symphony Sid ("Charlie Mingus Trio featuring Toshiko on piano"), I believe that Grimes is the only bass player on this track.
| 1962-05-12 | Charlie Mingus |
Date: May 12, 1962 (live)
Location: Birdland, New York City
Charles Mingus (ldr), Richard Williams (tp), Charles McPherson (as), Booker Ervin (ts), Toshiko Akiyoshi (p), Henry Grimes (b [b,c]), Charles Mingus (b [b,c]), Symphony Sid Torin (mc)
| a. | [Introduction by Symphony Sid] | 0:30 | unissued - | |
| b. | Peggy's Blue Skylight (Mingus) | 13:59 | J for Jazz JFJ 802 (BAT 5-8, Jazzman JM 11741, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) | |
| c. | Tijuana Table Dance (Mingus) | 11:37 | J for Jazz JFJ 802 (BAT 5-8, Jazzman JM 11741, Musica Jazz 2 MJP 1067, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) | |
| d. | Eat That Chicken (theme) (Mingus) | 1:07 | J for Jazz JFJ 802 (BAT 5-8, Jazzman JM 11741, Tempo di jazz CDTJ 704) |
Notes:
[1] On Peggy's Blue Skylight (track b) both Mingus and Grimes play walking bass (!), in different registers though.
[2] Bass and piano credits for Eat That Chicken are still unsolved.
| 1962-10-19 | Charlie Mingus |
Date: October 19, 1962 (live)
Location: Birdland, New York City
Charles Mingus (ldr), Eddie Armour (tp), Don Butterfield (tuba), Charles McPherson (as), Pepper Adams (bars), Jaki Byard (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d), Symphony Sid Torin (mc)
| a. | My Search (Mingus) | 6:29 | Session Disc 118 (BAT 5-8, Jazz View COD 028, Music Room Special MRS5046) | |
| b. | Monk, Funk Or Vice Versa (Mingus) | 6:53 | Session Disc 118 (BAT 5-8, Jazz View COD 028, Music Room Special MRS5046) | |
| c. | Please Don't Come Back From The Moon (Mingus) | 7:37 | Session Disc 118 (BAT 5-8, Jazz View COD 028, Music Room Special MRS5046) | |
| d. | Eat That Chicken (theme) (Mingus) | 1:51 | Session Disc 118 (BAT 5-8, Music Room Special MRS5046) | |
| dd. | Eat That Chicken (incomplete; fade-out) (Mingus) | 0:04 | Jazz View COD 028 |
Notes:
[1] My Search (track a) is based on I Can't Get Started by Vernon Duke.
[2] Session Disc and Jazz View releases use following titles: The Search (for My Search), King Fish (for Monk, Bunk And Vice Versa) and Moonboy (for Please Don't Come Back From The Moon).
| 1962-10-26 | Charlie Mingus And The Jazz Workshop All Stars |
Date: October 26, 1962 (live)
Location: Birdland, New York City
Charles Mingus (ldr), Eddie Armour (tp), Charles McPherson (as), Pepper Adams (bars), Jaki Byard (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d), Symphony Sid Torin (mc)
| a. | Eat That Chicken (theme) (Mingus) | 1:34 | BAT 5-8 (Yadeon 501) | |
| b. | Monk, Funk Or Vice Versa (Mingus) | 9:10 | Ozone 19 (BAT 5-8, Musica Jazz 2 MJP 1067, Yadeon 501) | |
| c. | O.P. (Mingus) | 8:17 | Ozone 19 (BAT 5-8, Frequenz 044-011, Yadeon 501) | |
| cc. | O.P. (edited during baritone sax solo) (Mingus) | 6:57 | i Maestri del Jazz Vol. V n. 61 / MJ 1061-1 | |
| d. | My Search (Mingus) | 8:15 | Ozone 19 (BAT 5-8, Yadeon 501) |
Notes:
[1] My Search (track a) is based on I Can't Get Started by Vernon Duke.
[2] This session includes the first known recording of O.P. (Priestley, 1983; Homzy, 1991), a composition dedicated to Oscar Pettiford who had died two years earlier in Copenhagen
[3] Priestley (1983) lists the following track order (b, c, d, a): Monk, Funk Or Vice Versa, O.P., My Search and Eat That Chicken. This new order is based on Symphony Sid's question after Eat That Chicken: "Charles, what are we gonna play first?" to which Mingus answers "We'd like to play a composition titled Monk, Funk Or Vice Versa". Also, the announcement by Symphony Sid after My Search (track d) indicates that this is the correct order.
[4] Don Butterfield on tuba is listed among the personnel in most discographies or personnel listings although he's not introduced by Symphony Sid and he's also inaudible on these tracks.
