Jazz for aficionados

**** which sideman you think contributed the most to this great record. ****

It’s a shame that one should have to preface comments this way. This is strictly a personal opinion and perspective; certainly not intended to insult anyone since it is obvious we all listen to music differently and listen for different things in music and even listen for different reasons.

That question is, TO ME, like the question: which is the “best” trumpet player?....among many great trumpet players. There is no answer and is ultimately a meaningless question. The reason that this is, as the questioner states, a “great record” (and it is) is that every sideman contributes to it’s greatness and has an equally important musical role. Imagine the record without saxophone to fill out the harmony of the melodies, or without the drums and only bass and piano, or without the piano and the resulting absence of harmonic underpinning, etc. Or, imagine different players in any one of those “chairs”; wouldn’t be the same record. Might still be great...might not be. Classic Jazz quintet; five different and very specific roles. Musicians commonly say “an ensemble is only as good as its weakest link”. This was a great ensemble; no weak links and all equally strong links in their respective roles.

orpheus10
Yes That BREMEN Mingus concert you posted is the same group that made that 1964 European tour.  ThAT  Bremen concert and the Cornell 1964 show both have Johnny Coles on trumpet whereas the Great Concert of Charles Mingus is minus Coles who became ill but might have better sound than Cornell 1964 based on the review on amazon. So take your pick or  get all of them. the Cornell concert and Bremen show are finds for me and I will buy them for my collection.
This is last time Mingus would play with Dolphy as he passed away 3 months later.

Any player, especially rhythm section players, will tell you that to a great extent their own playing on any performance is inextricably linked to, and even determined by, the playing of the other two; basic rule of ensemble playing. No smoke and mirrors, just fact. You chose Cranshaw as “contributing the most” (in a single situation no different than saying “the best”). You liked Cranshaw. Great! But, I guarantee you that Cranshaw would point to the other two as being one of the main reasons he played the way he did on that tune. There’s a lot more to “contribution” than meets the eye. One perspective.

Btw, Ben Cranshaw is a pro golfer 😊