Charles Mingus – Tijuana Moods

CHARLES MINGUS – TIJUANA MOODS (LP, GREEN VINYL)

• One of Mingus’s personal favorites—vivid, dramatic, and fiercely original.
• 180-gram green vinyl with 2 bonus tracks and liner notes by Brian Morton.

Description

Although not released until years after it was recorded, Tijuana Moods stands as one of Charles Mingus’s most striking works—a bold fusion of jazz, Mexican folkloric elements, and emotionally charged storytelling. With its colorful orchestrations and dramatic mood shifts, the album showcases Mingus at a compositional peak. Featuring standout performances from Jimmy Knepper, Curtis Porter (a.k.a. Shafi Hadi), and Dannie Richmond, the record immerses the listener in a border-town soundscape filled with tension, humor, and pathos.

This limited edition reissue on 180-gram green vinyl includes two bonus tracks and newly written liner notes by Penguin Guide to Jazz’s Brian Morton and Paris’ Jazz Magazine.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Dizzy Moods – 5:51
2. Ysabel’s Table Dance – 10:28
3. Duke’s Choice – 6:26 *

Side B

1. Tijuana Gift Shop – 3:53
2. Los Mariachis (The Street Musicians) – 10:22
3. Flamingo – 5:40
4. Slippers – 3:32 *

Personnel

• Charles Mingus – Bass, Leader
• Jimmy Knepper – Trombone
• Curtis Porter (Shafi Hadi) – Alto & Tenor Sax
• Clarence “Gene” Shaw – Trumpet
• Bill Triglia – Piano
• Dannie Richmond – Drums
• Frankie Dunlop – Percussion
• Ysabel Morel – Castanets
• Lonnie Elder – Voice & Narration
• *Bonus A3: Horace Parlan (p) replaces Triglia, Porter on Tenor Sax – October 1957
• *Bonus B4: Benny Bailey (tp), Cecil Payne (bar), Peck Morrison (b), Horace Parlan (p) – October 1957