Changes to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

[zdub]

Yes, well of course. Mingus was very aware and proud that other people were playing his music, like Jeff Beck, who was coming from an entirely different genre. In those days composers made serious money from royalties. I'm sure he got some fat checks from Beck!

Towards the end he tried to sell his music to other artists. He wasn't like Monk. A lot of people covered Monk tunes Mingus' were more complicated in terms of form and not as great improv vehicles.

From Tonight At Noon: To Mingus With Love album review @ All About Jazz:

In her memoir Sue Mingus recalls playing him British rock star Jeff Beck's version of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat." She asked him, "What does this sound like, Charlie?" The great man listened for a while, then grinned slyly. "It sounds like money," he said.

[henryrobinett]

From Tonight At Noon: To Mingus With Love album review @ All About Jazz:

Lol. There you go. I have that book but haven’t read it yet.


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[DMgolf66]

Regarding McLaughlin's version...

I once slept rough in Paris for a whole summer - a very interesting experience! Lot's of odd things happened, including being awoken at about 4am by a Swedish guy who was also sleeping rough. He had an acoustic guitar with him, and was playing McLaughlin's arrangement - or so he said. It sounded unbelievable under the stars, with Paris all around us. Happy memories.

I was young then. I need my comfy bed these days!

There was a bad actor dressed as the Hunchback of Notre Dame - turns out (of course it did) that he was Scottish, from Glasgow. He used to terrorise children as a way of extracting money from parents. At the end of his summer season he gave me a lift in his car all the way back to Scotland.

Sorry...I'm reminiscing. Better stop now, before I remember the things I shouldn't!

These are the kind of slight diversions from the original subject that are pearls.

[2bornot2bop]

Yes a lot of people don’t seem to realise that. Probably doesn’t help that the old real book only has the ‘head’ changes shown (and it’s in the wrong key!).

Interesting that in this Mingus Dynasty record which I have, they play the solos over the ‘head’ changes.

Man, what a great recording that I’ve never heard! Thank you!

[grahambop]

Man, what a great recording that I’ve never heard! Thank you!

That was the first jazz record I ever bought, along with Mingus Ah Hum. I wanted to get the original Goodbye Porkpie Hat record, but the record shop also had the Mingus Dynasty album, so I took the plunge and bought them both.

It was in a little record shop in Sheffield, it had loads of jazz, folk and blues stuff. Places like that hardly exist any more!

[christianm77]

This tune is a bit of a folk standard for some reason

[guido5]

I think Joni Mitchell covering it got it on the folk radar...

[Rob MacKillop]

I know Tony, and have played in a concert where we both did solo spots. He's a fantastic player, and has also recorded music by Bach. He started out with jigs and reels, but has gone way beyond that. He also has a Truefire course.

[grahambop]

I think Joni Mitchell covering it got it on the folk radar...

I think it was more likely from folkies like John Renbourn and Bert Jansch who recorded it in the 1960s.

[christianm77]

I know Tony, and have played in a concert where we both did solo spots. He's a fantastic player, and has also recorded music by Bach. He started out with jigs and reels, but has gone way beyond that. He also has a Truefire course.

I love his playing, and I was wondering if you might know him.

[Marcel_A]

I think Joni Mitchell covering it got it on the folk radar...

It's not what you said, but i wouldn't call it Folk.

[christianm77]

I think it was more likely from folkies like John Renbourn and Bert Jansch who recorded it in the 1960s.

As mentioned on another thread the Folk/Jazz border was pretty porous (Davy Graham, Donovan, Pentangle etc, even Martin Carthy apparently.) It just seems like Mingus was really important to musicians in the 60s. Is it just me or is he not mentioned as much today?

I think some musicians have got a bit sidelined by the history narrative.... Mingus stands out from that linear progression, he’s very unique.

[grahambop]

I suspect Mingus appealed to the folk/blues guys because of the strong blues/gospel element in some of his tunes.