Tijuana Moods - The Complete Edition (1962)

"Inspired by a trip to Tijuana, this was recorded in 1957 but was sat on by RCA until its release in 1962. Bassist/composer Mingus at the time said that this was his greatest recording, and it certainly ranks near the top. The original version (which was usually edited together from a few different takes) consisted of just five performances. In 2001, it reappeared as this double CD with 12 performances. It has often been said that Mingus forced and pressured his sidemen to play above their potential, and that is certainly true of this project. Completing the band is Ysabel Morel on castanets. The passionate playing, exciting ensembles, and high-quality compositions make this a real gem. In addition, this double-CD includes the recently discovered "A Colloquial Dream," an early version of a spoken word piece later called "Scenes in the City". This stirring music belongs in every jazz collection, for it does represent one of Charles Mingus' finest hours." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)