CD review: Big Band of the Deutsche Oper Berlin – Charles Mingus: Epitaph – Bigband of the Deutsche Oper Berlin – 2024: Video, CD cover

Charles Mingus was considered a genius and “angry man” of jazz, a highly talented musician who was denied the opportunity to study classical cello because of his skin colour.

In the 1940’s, only jazz was open to him. “Epitaph” was a series of 20 expansive pieces lasting over two hours: the inadequately prepared premiere in 1961 was a failure. It was only when the composer Gunter Schuller revised it in 1989 from Paris and sketches he had left behind that a realisable score emerged.

Under the direction of Titus Engel, the musicians of the Big Band and the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper and the Jazz institute Berlin played these expressive worlds with unbridled enthusiasm and remarkable clarity.

01 Main Score – Pt. 1 05:32
02 Percussion Discussion 08:54
03 Main Score – Pt. 2 05:09
04 Started Melody 13:07
05 Better Get Hit in Your Soul 11:35
06 The Soul 02:48
07 Moods in Mambo 04:28
08 Self Portrait / Chill of Death 11:30
09 O.P. (Oscar Pettiford) 03:47
10 Pinky / Please Don’t Come Back from the Moon 08:50
11 Monk, Bunk, and Vice Versa (Osmotin’) 03:48
12 Peggy’s Blue Skylight 04:37
13 Wolverine Blues 05:49
14 Children’s Hour of Dream 09:01
15 This Subdues My Passion 03:13
16 Untitled Ballad – In Other Words, I am Three 10:34
17 Freedom 09:32
18 Noon Night 04:04
19 “Untitled Interlude – The Underdog Rising” 05:02
20 Main Score Reprise 05:01

Randy Brecker trumpet
Jorge Puerta tenor
BigBand of The Deutsche Oper Berlin
Titus Engel