Charles Mingus - New Tijuana Moods
While Mingus Ah Um and Black Saint and the Sinner Lady duke it out for jazz canon supremacy, throw on New Tijuana Moods and get a little dirty. Mingus was among the greats of jazz, well-respected in nearly every sub-corner of the genre, and though this may not be his best overall record, it's got the style and attitude to make up for it twice over. "Los Mariachis" is the star here: ten minutes of groove-hopping, style-switching street madness. But in a pinch, take "Dizzy Moods," the classic opener with a great performance from drummer Dannie Richmond, who also played with Mingus on the two above-mentioned classics.