Mingunos - Opus II (2019)

If Cumulus Mingus, the first album by Mingunos, was a pleasant surprise, this Opus II is a confirmation. The group that was created to pay tribute to Charles Mingus begins to take flight while continuing to cover the brilliant composer and bassist. It is an honor to edit this material within the Club del Disco label.

It was not so long since we presented the surprise album of Mingunos in the Disco Club Catalog: it was in May 2017, although the album was already a few months old. Then the group played live that material a lot, while preparing the new one. And they returned to studies to record; the result is this masterly Opus II, in which they are released even more, while presenting a material that presents no difficulties for the general public: it is not a disc only for musicians.

In jazz there is no concept of cover, typical of the cultural field of rock. That is, even when ideas, atmospheres and melody of the original song are respected, the imprint that the musicians put on (and which varies from one session to another) is what gives the distinctive flavor to each version. This is clarified so that you do not think that Mingunos what he does is transcribe for his training (byte singer) music of Charles Mingus and already. They do much more than that. This is jazz.

At the same time that they are versioning, let's say, they read in code 2018 Argentina the music of Mingus, they add their own material. Track 4, Opus X, is a tribute to Mingus by Juan Klas (tenor saxophone, flute and arranger of almost all the songs on the album). But, in addition, this time there are two subjects of people who were in the solar system of the bassist: the mythical trombonist Sunny Clapp, author of Girl Of My Dreams (track 2) and Sy Johnson, pianist and arranger who worked with Mingus, who wrote Wee (6).

In a group in which they are all splendid musicians, the timbre and phrasing of Lucia Boffo's voice is the distinctive color. It is a finding that participates as an instrument more, not only singing in the songs that have lyrics, but doing scat in the rest.

An album that will be the highlight of 2019, without a doubt. Exclusively for members of the Club del Disco before it arrives at record stores, digital media or concert halls.