The Clown

Notes

Mingus second release for Atlantic.
While Esa Onttonen states that "this is Mingus's first album with Dannie Richmond on drums", it's not accurate: the live at Bohemia came first.

"The Clown" includes a narration, something that Mingus will use again in both Weary Blues and A Jazz Symposium.

While there exists a "deluxe" edition with two more tracks from Tonight at Noon, the recommended format for this nowadays is the Passions of a Man Complete Atlantic box set.

Session Details

The release consists of two sessions, the second one being split between this and Tonight at Noon.

First session:
1957/02/13, Audio-Video Studios, New York City, USA

Matrix as follow:
#2452 (B) The Clown
#2453 Reincarnation Of A Lovebird (lost) (Onttonen quotes Priestley and states that "the track is unissued", while the Passions set leaflet mentions it as lost)

Second session:
1957/03/12, Audio-Video Studios, New York City, USA

Matrix:
#2454 (F) Passions Of A Woman Loved (see Tonight at Noon)
#2455 (B) Blue Cee
#2456 (F) Tonight At Noon (see Tonight at Noon)
#2457 (B) Reincarnation Of A Lovebird
#2458 (B) Haitian Fight Song

Release History

There may exist an EP containing "The Clown", as Atlantic 581.

ASIN linking as follow:

1957-08 United States Atlantic 1260 - Vinyl
1984 United States Atlantic 7 90142-2 075679014221 CD (B000002JKH)
1998-06-25 Thu Japan Atlantic AMCY-1173 4988029117342 CD
1998-09-07 Mon United Kingdom Atlantic - 0081227535827 CD (B00000IH8E)
1999-02-16 Tue United States Atlantic 75590 0081227559021 CD
2005-12-07 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674059621 CD (B000BDJ1ZG)
2007-01-24 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674068166 CD (B000KHXFX2)

Discid linking as follow:
075679014221 has discID EdykKslNReMk688TG9.j5nkkdXM-

Tunes History

Haitian Fight Song was first played at the Bohemia with Max Roach (twice) (TODO: investigate II B.S. on impulse!). It was covered by Pepper Adams, Pentangle and Hal Willner

Blue Cee was played only once in studio, although it served as the basis for an improvised tune during one of the 1961 Birdland sets. Apparently, it was never covered.

Reincarnation of a Lovebird will be played again 4 times during the Candid sessions (October 20, 1960), then again the 30th of October 1970 during the America sessions, and finally live in Berlin in November. It has been covered quite a few times, including by Gil Evans with Steve Lacy, and inevitably by Hal Willner.

The Clown will not be played again, but a tune derived from it, during the Monterey live (December 25, 1965), Let My Children Hear Music (October 1, 1971), and Mingus and Friends (live again, February 4, 1972). (TODO: check this again). Any covers?