SKF NOTE: I owe so much to Charles Mingus. While listening to his small band (quintet?) at Newport 1970 jazz made sense for the first time. I’d been self-studying jazz for a long time and liked much of what I was hearing. But I didn’t really grasp the jazz form. I didn’t fully understand how jazz musicians in bands were relating to each other.

Charles Mingus changed all that.

I was intrigued by the recent reissue and remaster of Mingus at Carnegie Hall. This 2-CD set is the complete concert, rounding out the original LP which had only the second half, the jam session part of the concert.

This album reminds me again of just how magnificent was the team of Mingus on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums. I haven’t listened to the full album yet, but what I have listened to so far ended with Fables of Faubus – a Mingus classic. And I wanted to bring your attention to Dannie Richmond’s great, imaginative, dynamic drum solo. It starts at 14:21 on this digital version.