Prickly, iconoclast and genius are all terms that have been used to describe to the late bassist/composer Charles Mingus. By 1973 Mingus could have coasted on a reputation that included gigs with Charlie Parker; leading a band that toured the world; and launching his own record label.
Fortunately for jazz fans Mingus never stopped creating. Jazz In Detroit / Strata Concert Gallery / 46 Selden documents a weeklong residency in Detroit collecting live radio broadcasts made in a workshop setting. Without a heavyweight soloist like Eric Dolphy or longtime foil, drummer Dannie Richmond, this band is something of a wild card in Mingus’ history.
Anchored by drummer Roy Brooks and trumpeter Joe Gardner (both Detroit natives), the band offers up energetic drive and swing. The rolling thunder of “Pithecanthropus Erectus” moves into a moody middle section that allows pianist Don Pullen to dive more heavily into free improvisation than Mingus’ bands typically waded. Pullen colors the tunes imaginatively throughout the album.
Saxophonist John Stubblefield would have a falling out with Mingus several months after these performances and this would be the only documentation of the two playing together. Yet after the bassist’s death when his wife (and Milwaukee native) Sue Mingus put together the legacy acts Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Big Band, Stubblefield would be a key member.
Perhaps due to the relaxed nature of the setting, most tunes on Detroit push past the eighteen minute mark. This is what instrumental interplay is all about. Also included are on-air interviews offering a glimpse into community powered radio circa ’73.
