Pithecanthropus Erectus (album)

Pithecanthropus Erectus is a 1956 album by jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus. Mingus noted that this was the first album where he taught arrangements to his musicians by ear in lieu of putting the chords and arrangements in writing.[4]

Pithecanthropus Erectus
Studio album by Charles Mingus
Released	July or August 1956[1][2][3]
Recorded	January 30, 1956
Studio	Audio-Video Studios New York City
Genre	Jazz, post-bop
Length	36:36
Label	Atlantic, America
Producer	Nesuhi Ertegun
Charles Mingus chronology
The Charles Mingus Quintet & Max Roach (1955) Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956) The Clown (1957)

Music

According to Mingus' liner notes, the title song is a ten-minute tone poem, depicting the rise of man from his hominid roots (Pithecanthropus erectus) to an eventual downfall due to "his own failure to realize the inevitable emancipation of those he sought to enslave, and his greed in attempting to stand on a false security." The song's title translates into "Upright Ape-Man", which holds a dual meaning with "upright" referring to Mingus' bass.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Q	[5]
Vibe	(not rated)[6]
Allmusic	[7]
Tom Hull	A[8]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave it a maximum four-star rating and added it to its core collection, describing it as "One of the truly great modern jazz albums".[9] In the same review, "the all-in ensemble work" in parts of the first track, "Pithecanthropus Erectus", is described as being "absolutely crucial to the development of free collective improvisation in the following decade".

Track listing

All tracks composed by Charles Mingus except where noted.

1. "Pithecanthropus Erectus" – 10:36
2. "A Foggy Day" – 7:50 (George Gershwin)
3. "Profile of Jackie" – 3:11
4. "Love Chant" – 14:59

Personnel

Musicians

• Charles Mingus – bass
• Jackie McLean – alto saxophone
• J. R. Monterose – tenor saxophone
• Mal Waldron – piano
• Willie Jones – drums

Production

• Tom Dowd – recording engineering
• Hal Lustig – recording engineering

References

1. Liner notes to Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961
2. Editorial Staff, Cash Box (4 August 1956). "August Album Releases" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
3. Billboard Aug 25, 1956
4. Huey, Steve. "Pithecanthropus Erectus - Charles Mingus | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
5. "The essential early Mingus set" (December 2001) Q, p. 160.
6. "The Vibe 100" (December 1999) Vibe, p.162. (Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century.)
7. Huey, Steve. "Pithecanthropus Erectus - Charles Mingus | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
8. Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Essential Jazz Albums of the 1950s". tomhull.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
9. Cook, Richard & Morton, Brian (2008) The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, p. 1001. Penguin.