Charles Mingus – The Clown VG+/G+

The Clown is a jazz album by Charles Mingus, released in September 1957 by Atlantic Records. It is the follow-up to his previous album, Pithecanthropus Erectus, and features the improvised narration of Jean Shepherd, a radio personality and humorist. The album consists of four tracks, each showcasing Mingus’s musical vision and talent. The album blends elements of bebop, blues, folk and classical music, creating a rich and expressive sound. The album also reflects Mingus’s personal and social concerns, such as racism, injustice and alienation.

The tracks are as follows:

• “Haitian Fight Song” – A powerful and passionate piece inspired by the struggle of the Haitian people against oppression. Mingus said that he could only play this song when he was thinking about prejudice and hate.
• “Blue Cee” – A standard blues in two keys, C and B flat, featuring some Basie-like swing and church-like feeling.
• “Reincarnation of a Lovebird” – A tribute to Charlie Parker, the legendary saxophonist and bebop pioneer. Mingus said that this song was his feeling about Bird, who died in 1955¹.
• “The Clown” – A story of a clown who tries to please people but is rejected and ridiculed until he kills himself. The story is narrated by Shepherd, who improvised his words based on Mingus’s outline.