The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

‘The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady’ is widely regarded as the masterpiece of Charles Mingus. It was released in 1963, which was perhaps Mingus's most creative year. During this period, he also recorded and released ‘Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus’ and ‘Mingus Plays Piano’. Musically, it is classified as 'Third Stream', a fusion of jazz and classical music. Even more than 60 years after its release, the album still feels avant-garde. There are hardly any successors to the album, not even from Mingus himself. Whilst he continued to work on a fusion of jazz and classical music, he never returned to this particular musical language. Free improvisations (or is it composed improvisations?) alternate with chamber music-style moments and big band sequences. With this album, Mingus set himself apart from his mentors, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, whilst also creating a sound that was entirely different to that of John Coltrane or Miles Davis, for example. As unique as Mingus is, and as unique as this album is, I find it difficult to fully appreciate it. I like individual sequences, but the free-jazz passages leave me somewhat at a loss. There's simply too much happening at once for me to take it all in. Ultimately, it's perhaps another one of those great classics that everyone raves about but very few can truly understand or appreciate. It's a milestone, but like The Brothers Karamazov, it's a classic that I don't get much out of.

Well this is quite a lovely and soothing way to enter the week.

Nice, instrumental, fun. I’m not a big fan of instrumental music though :)

Too abstract for me and I enjoy the occasional jazz. The ear balance was off-putting.
Highlight: mode D, cool unexpected classical guitar

I dig it.

Incredible album. The music flows beautifully from one section to the next. Just when you think it's calming down, it's starts up again. At no point is this dull or uninteresting or uneventful. There's always something bubbling away or in your face. Astonishing, really.

A sublime, towering achievement. Can't even begin to figure out what a genius work of art this is.

I would never choose to listen to Jazz recreationally but I always enjoy it when I listen to it for list. I don’t think I don’t understand Jazz and probably never will but I really appreciate its existence.

YESS PEAK

I’ll often rate jazz albums two stars because I respect it even though I don’t really enjoy it much. But this was just too unpleasant. Another reviewer used the word cacophany. And that’s perfect.

I have decided I just don't like jazz

Chaotic. My cat didn't like it though.

Favorite track(s): the whole damn thing.

Pretty much everything you hope a jazz record is. Complex without losing any listenability. Every instrument has so much character but none are lost in the crowd. You'll dance, you'll cry, and you'll ask for just one more ride.

Heard before
Previous rating: 9/10

I've listened to a lot of great jazz albums for this project but this one is definitely my favourite. For as much as I love the chill, lowkey sound of a Kind Of Blue or a Time Out, the loud, chaotic nature of this album is really what grabbed me about this, and what set it apart from other jazz projects that I've heard. The playing here is otherworldly too, with constant changes in tempo and time signature which keeps things interesting across the lengthy runtimes of some of these songs. Even though I'm still new to jazz, I had a really great time with this and with more time, I could definitely see myself enjoying this one a lot more than I already do.

Fav Songs: All

Least Fav: N/A

9.5/10

Excellent instrumental album

capa mto foda pqp

eh pedradaça mesmo, que absurdo. 11 mano na banda e uma boa mistura com elementos de música africana e espanhola. bom DEMAIS to embasbacado

I can tell it's good, I just still don't like jazz all that much. 2/5

HOLY WHAT AN ALBUM. Playing this album LOUD is a MUST. Is it the best Jazz album of all time????

Wow, for some reason I expected this masterpiece not to be here, I just re-listened ti this just a couple days ago, so this is like a sign haha. No other album in existence like this one really, superb, passionate, progressive jazz big band suite like no other. Strong 5 starts

It's jazz, so it's kinda hard to rate - there is a boatload of stuff going on here, and the overarching theme seems to be the soundtrack to an imaginary movie about a bunch of different dancers and what they get up to.
Not for the faint hearted, but I enjoyed this for my morning drive today.