Cumbia & Jazz Fusion is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded for the Atlantic label in 1977. It features two extended compositions written for the film Todo Modo by Mingus and performed by large ensembles featuring Jack Walrath, Jimmy Knepper, Paul Jeffrey, Ricky Ford, Dannie Richmond, Candido, Ray Mantilla, George Adams and Danny Mixon. The CD reissue added two solo performances by Mingus on piano.

Cumbia & Jazz Fusion
Studio album by
Released1978 (1978)
RecordedMarch 29–31, 1976 at Sound WorkShop and Dirmaphon Studio, Rome, Italy; March 1 & March 10, 1977 in NYC
GenreJazz
Length50:16
LabelAtlantic
ProducerIlhan Mimaroglu, Daniele Senatore
Charles Mingus chronology
Three or Four Shades of Blues
(1977)
Cumbia & Jazz Fusion
(1978)
His Final Work
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[2]
Sounds[5]
The Village VoiceB+[3]

Critical reception

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Village Voice critic Robert Christgau felt Cumbia & Jazz Fusion's loftier compositions suggested Mingus was more of an "important jazz eccentric" rather than a "great": "The 27-minute title fantasia is rich, lively, irreverent, and enjoyable, but it's marred by overly atmospheric Hollywood-at-the-carnival moments, while the kitschy assumed seriousness of 'Music for Todo Modo' almost ruins its fresh big-band colors."[3] AllMusic critic Scott Yanow later wrote: "The music is episodic but generally holds its own away from the film".[1]

Track listing

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All compositions by Charles Mingus

No.Titlerecording dateLength
1."Cumbia and Jazz Fusion"March 10, 197728:05
2."Music for "Todo Modo""March 29–31, 197622:21
3."Wedding March/Slow Waltz"March 1, 19772:04
4."Wedding March/Slow Waltz [alternate take]"March 1, 19772:21

Tracks 3 & 4 are bonus tracks on CD.

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b AllMusic Review
  2. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 141. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  3. ^ a b Village Voice review
  4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1005. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. ^ Evans, Linnet (2 September 1978). "Charles Mingus: Cumbia And Jazz Fusion". Sounds. p. 33.

Further reading

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