Bayard, Hulett, Lomax: Trio Plays Mingus

In the year that would have been Charles Mingus' one-hundredth birthday, there is no shortage of reissues, tribute albums, and previously unreleased sessions such as The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's (Resonance Records, 2022). But for drummer & composer Dr. Mark Lomax, II, the musical legacy of Mingus has special meaning. His Trio Plays Mingus gives new life to classic Mingus compositions and incorporates a couple of lesser-known works.

Mingus preferred the big band format, and recorded only one leader album in a trio. That early, self-titled album (Jubilee Records, 1963) featured Hampton Hawes on piano and included only two Mingus tunes. He recorded earlier in a Bud Powell trio, and later (1976) with Red Norvo. Lomax, whose twelve- disc 400: An Afrikan Epic (CFG Multimedia, 2019) was a significant contribution to the celebration of Black America, was born at the time of Mingus' death. He felt a kinship with the bassist through a shared vision of civil rights; both found an outlet for the pursuit of freedom through their music. Lomax is joined on Trio Plays Mingus by long-time colleagues saxophonist Edwin Bayard and bassist Dean Hulett.

"Better Get Hit In Your Soul," from Mingus Ah Um (Sony, 1959), takes the uninhibited original a step further with Bayard's wildly open interpretation. Still dark, but less of a ballad, Mingus' Lester Young classic "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" takes on a dreamy, serpentine air. The more unfamiliar works are Jack Walrath's "Black Bats and Poles"—from Mingus' Changes Two (Atlantic Records, 1975)—and the Mingus ballad, "Eclipse" from Pre-Bird (Mercury, 1961), later re-released as Mingus Revisited (Limelight, 1965). "Eclipse" was scored for a Mingus' full jazz orchestra; the original was a relatively brief, dissonant paean. The Lomax trio version nicely condenses the lyrical elements in their spare treatment of the piece.

Celebrating Mingus sometimes necessitates separating the man from his music. Even at that, the bassist had both deep social convictions and a volatile, sometimes violent demeanor. Trio Plays Mingus lets the music speak for itself and adds to the originals with inimitable readings and top-notch musicianship. Lomax explains his take on Mingus' compositions in his notes: "His music says life is complicated but if you take the time to look deeply, it's also very beautiful. For all these reasons; the personal, musical, and cultural influence he had, we celebrate him."