1973 was all about Mingus to the power of five. Besides this album, produced by Nesuhi Ertegun and recorded in Atlantic’s New York studio during the last three days of October, the year saw a great deal of quintet activity with fairly stable personnel throughout. Playing with Mingus here are trumpeter Ronald Hampton; tenorist/flautist George Adams; pianist Don Pullen; and drummer Dannie Richmond plus singers Honey Gordon and Doug Hammond added on the third track ‘Moves’.
Reissued in the 1000 Yen series it’s Adams who sets the mood, stealthy and sombre on ‘Canon’ on the opening track, Hampton answering the call, Richmond’s bells chiming. Compelling and immediate 40 years after its release in 1974 there’s so much life here, for instance on ‘Opus 4’ the wave of bass pulse ringing true and clear as the horns probe and harmonise, Richmond slicing the beat like a heart surgeon. ‘Moves’ though with the misfiring vocal duet of Honey Gordon and Doug Hammond (Hammond out of key and hesitantly wavery at the beginning) is the only down side. ‘Wee’ is serene Pullen casting a spell to set the tune up, while ‘Flowers For A Lady’ has the temperature of a summer night. Adams switches to flute to introduce ‘Newcomer’ a clever follow-on in the sequencing leaving ‘Opus 3’ an open road for the band to drive hard. The extra tracks not on the original LP are the toe tapping hoedown ‘Big Alice’ and cosmic ‘The Call’ that actually live up to the much overused term ‘bonus’. SG
