Charles Mingus - Reincarnations

Reincarnations pulls rare takes from Charles Mingus's sessions for Candid back into the light, reassembled as a stand-alone album.

A sequel to the Incarnations set, it draws on the brief, brilliant stretch Mingus spent recording for Candid in 1960, the short-lived label overseen by the critic Nat Hentoff. That was the period when Eric Dolphy was part of his circle, and the music crackles with the risk-taking that makes this era of Mingus so celebrated. These alternate takes and lesser-heard versions had been unavailable on vinyl for decades.

"Re-incarnation of a Love Bird" appears in its first version, an aching tribute to Charlie Parker that unfolds with real tenderness before the ensemble starts to stir. "Body and Soul" stretches out for nearly fourteen minutes, the old standard pulled and reshaped until it feels brand new. "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" brings a lighter, swinging touch, and "Vassarlean" glides along on one of Mingus's loveliest, most melancholy melodies. Each take catches the band thinking on its feet, alive to every turn.

For anyone who treasures Mingus Ah Um or Mingus Presents Mingus, this is a rich bonus chapter, full of fire and heart. It's the sound of a bandleader at the height of his powers, caught in rare form.