Pithecanthropus Erectus

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Pithecanthropus Erectus · This album was released in August 1956 on Atlantic. Charles Mingus taught his musicians the pieces by ear for the first time instead of writing them out on paper. The line-up includes alto saxophonist Jackie McLean and pianist Mal Waldron.

The title track lasts well over ten minutes. According to the liner notes it is a symphonic poem about the rise of man from his ancestors to his fall, through greed and through the failure to see that the oppressed must be freed. The title refers to Java Man, at the time the oldest known human fossil. The Penguin Guide to Jazz calls the record one of the truly great modern jazz albums and sees in the interplay of the first track a key to the free collective improvisation of the following decade.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Pithecanthropus Erectus10:37Apple Music ↗
2. 2A Foggy Day7:50Apple Music ↗
3. 3Profile of Jackie3:08Apple Music ↗
4. 4Love Chant14:55Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗