Perdido – 1971

In 1971, the great bassist-composer Charles Mingus was making a comeback after several years off of the scene.

At a Oct. 31, 1971 concert in Rotterdam, Holland which was part of the traveling Newport In Europe Festival Mingus welcomed the veteran Duke Ellington trumpeter Cat Anderson to his group for a version of “Perdido.”

At the time, Mingus was leading a little-known version of his band with trumpeter Joe Gardner, baritonist Hamiet Bluiett, pianist John Foster, and drummer Roy Brooks.

Cat Anderson, one of the greatest high note trumpeters of all time, mostly plays quite credibly in the middle register during his solo, throwing in a few blasts now and then to remind listeners who he is.

After Foster takes an excellent improvisation with Mingus swinging behind him, Anderson returns with a plunger mute solo that shows what he had learned from playing next to Cootie Williams and Ray Nance for many years.

Bluiett and Gardner take heated solos, Brooks gets a spot, and then the group plays two wild ensemble choruses before the closing melody ends the fun performance.

-Scott Yanow