Pre-Bird

Pre-Bird (later re-released as Mingus Revisited) is an album by jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus consisting of music that was composed before Mingus first heard Charlie Parker, hence the title Pre-Bird. It was released on Mercury Records in September 1961.

The music is scored for various sized large jazz ensembles and features many soloists prominent at the time of recording. The album includes two tracks which are contrapuntal arrangements of two swing era pieces, whereby "Take the "A" Train" (left channel) is paired with a simultaneous "Exactly Like You" (right channel), and likewise "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" with "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart". Tracks 1 to 3, 5 and 6 recorded May 25, 1960 probably at Plaza Sound, New York City; tracks 4, 7 and 8 recorded May 24, 1960 at Plaza Sound, New York City.

Track listing

 * 1) "Take the "A" Train" (Billy Strayhorn) / "Exactly Like You" (Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields) – 3:40
 * 2) "Prayer For Passive Resistance" – 3:57
 * 3) "Eclipse" – 4:01
 * 4) "Mingus Fingus No. 2" – 3:39
 * 5) "Weird Nightmare" - 3:42
 * 6) "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" (Duke Ellington/Bob Russell) / "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" (Duke Ellington/Irving Mills/Henry Nemo/John Redmond) - 3:41
 * 7) "Bemoanable Lady" - 4:30
 * 8) "Half-Mast Inhibition" - 8:14

All compositions by Charles Mingus, except where indicated

Personnel

 * Max Roach - drums
 * Gunther Schuller - conductor
 * Marcus Belgrave - trumpet
 * Ted Curson - trumpet
 * Clark Terry - trumpet
 * Hobart Dotson - trumpet
 * Richard Williams - trumpet
 * Robert Di Domenica - flute
 * Harry Shulman - oboe
 * Eric Dolphy - alto saxophone, flute
 * Booker Ervin - saxophone
 * Yusuf Lateef - saxophone, flute
 * John LaPorta - saxophone
 * Danny Bank - saxophone
 * Bill Barron - saxophone
 * Joe Farrell - saxophone
 * Eddie Bert - trombone
 * Slide Hampton - trombone
 * Jimmy Knepper - trombone
 * Charles "Majeed" Greenlee - trombone
 * Paul Bley - piano
 * Roland Hanna - piano
 * Charles Mingus – bass
 * George Scott - drums
 * Dannie Richmond - drums
 * Sticks Evans - drums
 * Lorraine Cusson - vocals