A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry

VINYL FORMAT. Originally released in 1957 on the Bethlehem label, this obscure album shows Mingus exploring new territory with his sextet while incorporating vocals into his work. On the opening track, 'Scenes In The City,' Mel Stewart (who played Henry Jefferson in the American TV series All In the Family), performs a spoken word piece written by actor and playwright Lonne Elder III and the legendary Langston Hughes. The track is a snapshot of Harlem and NYC in the 1950s, and for that alone this album stands out in the Mingus repertoire. Although the rest of the album features no spoken word or poetry, the playing is top notch and sidemen - Jimmy Knepper on Trombone, Shafi Hadi on sax, Clarence Shaw and Bill Hardman on trumpet, and Horace Parlan and Bob Hammer on piano - can all run with the big dogs. Digitally remastered.