Columbia presents the Legacy Edition release of two Charles Mingus albums from the past that have played a pivotal role in jazz since their induction. Mingus Ah Um and Mingus Dynasty come complete with all their original numbers plus alternate takes and bonus tracks giving you the complete perspective of Mingus and company.

There is something sophisticated about Jazz music, and given the right attitude, the right sense of professional stature, these particular musicians go down not as rock stars or scandal invoking icons but men and women of distinct grace and aptitude. To do what they do and do it so well, to have their stamp in the history of music survive without the slightest tarnish, that’s an accomplishment that’s not offered to many. Charles Mingus and his collection of musicians during the Columbia sessions mix a dangerous edge to the subtleties of Jazz creating a flowing ambiance that can be tender and thought provoking to wild and free spirited which pulls you in, makes you want to move your feet, sometimes even snap your fingers along to the beat. At some point in time you realize that what your listening to isn’t just music but an experience frozen in time that is just as lively as it was back in 1959 as it is today.

I must applaud Sony Music Studio's for the sound behind this album. I’ve listened to a lot of music in my day and nothing has quite captivated my auditory senses quite like this collection. To the right the sound of Jimmy Knepper’s trombone is eerily alive and well through your speaker system while to the left saxophones blurt out as if their just feet away. You’ve got Dannie Richmond right down the center, somehow, keeping time and tearing it up and even though he’s decades in the past playing along the acuteness of his performance comes through the speakers like he’s on stage before you. I enjoyed these albums a lot but the quality of the sound is so enormously grand that the experience of listening is taken to another level. This was the experience of my car stereo, which is great, but the sound was fantastic.

The collection comes on a two disc set, the first album Mingus Ah Um overlaps into the second disc where Mingus Dynasty begins. You can also put disc two into your pc and download a PDF Digital Booklet offering the original album notes, plus previously unpublished Columbia memo’s, producer notes, and correspondence, shedding light on how these recordings were conceived and realized. Absolutely a must own for Jazz enthusiasts or music lovers in general. Enjoy.