Charles Mingus Ah Um - The complete LP + 4 bonus tracks - Collector's digipak series with comprehensive booklet. By the mid-50s, Charles Mingus had formed his own publishing and recording companies to protect and document his growing repertoire of original music. He also founded the "Jazz Workshop," a group which enabled young composers to have their new works performed in concert and on recordings. One of those albums was Mingus Ah Um (Columbia CS-8171), presented here in its entirety along with all of the other tunes from the sessions and an alternate take of "Bird Calls." An extremely personal work, Mingus Ah Um once again showcased Mingus' unique talent for breaking new ground. It features an all-star group including Jimmy Knepper, John Handy, Booker Ervin and Curtis Porter, and marked Mingus' first LP for Columbia. Down Beat: "First let's put your minds at ease about that weird title: it's a corruption of an imaginary Latin declension (mingus-minga-mingum). Don't ask why. It seems to me that Mingus has now completely found himself, found a personal and vital direction. This is a consistently exciting and stimulating set." (Leonard Feather). Charles Mingus - bass & leader; Jimmy Knepper or Willie Dennis - trombone; Booker ERvin - tenor sax; Curtis Porter - alto & tenor sax; John Handy - alto & tenor sax, clarinet; Horace Parlan - piano; Dannie Richmond - drums Columbia session, New York 1959