I’ve waved off criticism concerning the presence of songs by a couple of notoriously awful men on my Best Songs of 2020 list. One’s a compulsive jerk. The other is a convicted criminal. While many of their actions disgust me, I’m not willing to pretend I don’t admire their work.
Charles Mingus was an unsavory character. His problematic behavior doesn’t lessen my appreciation of his brilliance. After obsessing over @ Bremen 1964 & 1975 in recent days, I admire Mingus more than ever. The new four-hour set documents of a pair of ferocious German concerts.
Even though I’d previously heard hours of Mingus’ material from these eras, I’m struck by the immediacy of the Bremen shows. The message of the artistic and societal prophet is just as urgent today as it was decades ago. Bursting with caustic rage, absurd pastiches and futuristic blues, both sets contain the best type of protest music.
The bands operate as cohesive units, but pianist Jaki Byard occasionally outshines saxophonist Eric Dolphy on the first date while the genius of pianist Don Pullen stands out amid the 1975 all-star band. A mountain of Mingus- including instructive footage of the 1964 tour- has long been available. But when it comes to one of the most consequential artists of the previous century, too much can never be enough.
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I might have dismissed Tripping with Nils Frahm had I not caught an hour of the talented cult hero’s appearance at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville last year. The new live set showcases the German’s remarkable range. Frahm offers safe harbor for people who’ve aged out of electronic dance music but have yet to dig Bill Evans.
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In order to keep my daily opera streak alive- the count is now up to 261- I turn to relatively compact compositions when I’m busy or suffering from opera-induced ennui. Grainy footage of the Bavarian State Opera’s rowdy 1965 staging of Carl Orff’s “Der Mond” recently reminded me that a curious gander at a 71-minute obscurity can be as rewarding as a three-hour immersion in a classic work.
