The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop* – Pithecanthropus Erectus

Discographical note: my deep groove copy came with the original wax paper-like inner sleeve. Also the cardboard cover is too small for the record! Once I got the record out of the sleeve there was no way to get it back in without damaging the original cardboard sleeve. Just an odd observation here. This one ends up with the cardboard sleeve, the fragile wax paper inner kept outside of the sleeve, and the wet vacuumed vinyl in a mofi sleeve all held together in one of those heavy resealable mylars. I get the feeling whoever originally bought the record had never taken it out of the sleeve, and I was the first person to pull it out when I got a copy at the St Vincent de Paul thrift store almost 50 years later! Also got an original pressing of Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter songbook (also had wax paper-like inners, even though that's on Verve), Tenor Madness, Bud Powell on Clef with the weird surrealistic cover, and a really choice Lionel Hampton LP where they've got him dressed up with a crown and ermine robe on the front... Pretty good haul that day! All the vinyl was VG Plus or better... The Bud Powell sleeve had some wear, but somebody had some pretty good taste in music for 1956, and thanks to whoever donated them to my local St Vincent de Paul!

I suppose maybe it's a bit of cork-sniffing (well we are on discogs so...) but I wonder how many record companies were using those weird wax paper like sleeves in the 50s? None of those wax paper like sleeves deposited anything on the vinyl, unlike some of the later polyvinyl inners that ruin records (I'm looking at you RCA)...

Black deep groove labels.

This is important. There are non deep groove black Atlantic's as well. We had a non deep groove black label and it was inferior in sound compared to the deep groove copies.

We tested one non-deep groove against two deep groove copies.

1956's Pithecanthropus Erectus is the Charles Mingus record where he really begins to take hold of his own personal vision of how jazz music could look. After cutting his teeth on the L.A. scene and touring with Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton, Mingus moved to New York, began Debut Records with Max Roach, and entered into the most productive and creative decade of his career. This album is held in the same esteem as Mingus Ah-Um and The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady among jazz aficionados, and one need listen no further than the 10 minute title track, a tone poem about the rise and fall of man which includes one of the earliest free jazz / improvisation segments put to tape. Absolutely essential jazz from the late great Charles Mingus.