As
Charles Mingus
's career (and life) moved into its final phase, his recordings exclusively featured large (and often potentially unruly) ensembles. This CD, which contains two rather long performances originally recorded as soundtracks for films, is better than most of what followed.
"Cumbia & Jazz Fusion"
has a large percussion section and quite a few woodwinds along with trumpeter
Jack Walrath
, tenor-saxophonist
Ricky Ford
and trombonist
Jimmy Knepper
while "Music for 'Todo Modo"' adds five horns to
Mingus's
Quintet. The music is episodic but generally holds its own away from the film. ~ Scott Yanow