Open Letter To Mingus by Orangethenblue (2011) and Stefano Maltese (1998)

Mingus at Todi, Umbria Jazz, 28 July, 1974

photo by Sergio Coppi

In those days I was contacted by Valeria Rios, a member of Orangethenblue’s group, which made ​​me aware of the recent production of a video documentary on Charles Mingus directed by his grandson Kevin Ellington Mingus entitled "Mingus on Mingus" (formerly known as "A True Jazz Legend"). 

Kevin Mingus describes his main motivation for making this film as "A grandson’s journey through the lore and legends of jazz history to find his grandfather, Charles Mingus."

You can read more here, on his website, and you can taste a sample in this clip, where Buddy Collette talks about Mingus at Monterey Jazz Festival Sept 20, 1964


Buddy Collette interviewed for "A true jazz legend" from 20 Fingers on Vimeo.

For the respect due to Charles Mingus and the admiration for his great music, I’ve agreed to support it, in any way I can, the work of Orangethenblue, dedicating a piece of my blog to this important initiative and I’would like to make it through two tributes to the project.

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Mingus at Pescara 1972 with Yusef Lateef, Kenny Drew and N.H.O. Pedersen

photo by Lucio Fumo

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The first homage is the publication of two rare letters from Mingus to Giuseppe Barazzetta, jazz critic, music consultant of the Bluebell record, since 1960, which distributed the Candid label in Italy. 

 

First Letter from Mingus to Barazzetta, May 29, 1962

Barazzetta, along with Polillo, Gian Carlo Testoni and Pino Maffei, was also the promoter of the first Mingus concert in Italy, held at the Teatro dell’Arte in Milan April 25, 1964.

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Mingus and Giuseppe Barazzetta, April 1964

photo by Eric Dolphy

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The letters, like so much other jazz material and more Barazzetta’s documents, are stored at the Centre for Studies on Jazz "Arrigo Polillo", directed by Francesco Martinelli, in the Siena Jazz Foundation.

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2nd handwritten letter from Mingus to Barazzetta, 

May 1966

The second tribute to Jazz from Italy dedicated to Mingus, is the recording of a concert performed by Stefano Maltese Open Music Orchestra for the twentieth anniversary of the death of Charles Mingus, recorded on 26 and 27 October 1998 and aired on Rai Radiotre Suite, by Pino Saulo.

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I know that this OOP album has already posted by Inconstant sol’s mates, but the importance of music by Stefano Maltese, in my opinion, has yet to be analyzed in-depth by italian critics and requires greater sharing, wherever this is possible.

Some time ago I started to draw a profile of this great Sicilian multi-instrumentalist, which unfortunately has been lost with all the store that I had in one of my hard disk, but I hope to complete it quickly and share it with you.

so long, Mingus!

 Mingus at Todi, Umbria Jazz, 28 July, 1974 

photo by Sergio Coppi

Credits:

Label: Musica Jazz
Catalog #: MJCD 1122
Format: CD
Country: Italy

Recorded at Radio Rai, Rome

26 and 27 october 1998

Stefano Maltese Open Music Orchestra:

Alberto Mandarini (tp, flgh),

Lauro Rossi, Sebi Tramontana (trnes),

Stefano Maltese (alto, bass cl, arr),

Eugenio Colombo (soprano, alto, fl, bass fl),

Carlo Actis Dato (bar sax, bass cl),

Umberto Petrin (p),

Giovanni Maier (bass),

Antonio Moncada (drums),

Gioconda Cilio (voice).

Tracklisting:

Part 1

1)      Pithecanthropus Erectus (Mingus) – 3’23”
2) Pow-Wow Mingus (Maltese) – 8’54”

Soloists: Moncada, Mandarini, Cilio, Maltese
3) Peggy's Blue Skylight (Mingus) – 2’29”
4) The Blue Meets The Moon (Maltese) – 13’05”

Soloists: Cilio, Colombo, Actis Dato, Rossi - Tramontana
5) Celia (Mingus) – 3’27”
6) The Wings Of The Night (Maltese) – 10’24”

Soloists: Colombo, Actis Dato – Petrin, Tramontana

Part 2

7) Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love (Mingus) – 2’36”
8) Love Call (Maltese) – 7’52”

Soloists: Maltese – Maier, Petrin
9) Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting  (Mingus) – 3’21”
10) A Stormy Night (Maltese) – 11’02”

Soloists: Mandarini, Maltese, Rossi, Petrin, Moncada
11) Eclipse (Mingus) – 3’49”
12) Things We Said (Maltese) – 5’28”

Solo: Maltese