More than a few listeners unfamiliar with this bassist / composer's earlier work concluded on the basis of his two "comeback" albums for Columbia that he was past his prime — but Mingus Moves satisfies from beginning to end. The quintet heard on this LP is Charles Mingus's best since the mid-Sixties. The music is pervaded by a gentle whimsy that's surprising coming from the man whose Pithecanthropus Erectus and Black Saint and the Sinner Lady contributed searing intensity to the jazz of the Fifties and Sixties, but there isn't a trace of the perfunctory solo work and tired arrangements that characterized too much of Mingus's music as recently as two years ago.

Saxophonist George Adams and pianist Don Pullen deserve much of the credit They are the most dedicated, original players to pass through Mingus's jazz workshop since Eric Dolphy and Jaki Byard. Both men are capable of moving into any area, and every one of their improvisations is a giddy, unpredictable trip through the contemporary vocabulary, touching bop, blues, and avant-garde bases in a naturally knowledgeable manner. Trumpeter Ronald Hampton, the most tentative player heard here, has since left the band, and Mingus wisely directed that Adams and Pullen pull most of the weight. Drummer Dannie Richmond, back in the fold after his Mark/Almond experience, is a plus. Mingus more or less taught him drums – he was originally a saxophonist – and he is the only really right drummer for the group.

Each of the compositions is a classic; the record has the feel of a ten-year-old favorite the first time through. The fragile loveliness of Sy Johnson's "Wee," which deserves special mention, unfolds into romping solos by Adams and Pullen and the returning line, which is in several sections, lingers on the lips. But you can, and will, sing every tune on the LP. Every note counts. And since Mingus has occasionally failed to edit himself sufficiently during the past few years, some of the credit for the album's perfection probably goes to producer Nesuhi Ertegun, who supervised Mingus's memorable early-Sixties Atlantic sessions.

Everybody involved seems to have lavished love and care on Mingus Moves, and there's a wholeness and accomplishment that can't be faked. Maybe the music isn't particularly "innovative" or "important" but it communicates, which is what jazz is all about. (RS 165)

BOB PALMER