The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

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

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady · Charles Mingus recorded this record on 20 January 1963 with a band of eleven musicians, and Impulse! released it in July of that year. The whole album is one continuous composition, partly written as a ballet and divided into four tracks and six parts. Bob Hammer was co-orchestrator and arranger. His rehearsal band worked the piece out during a six-week engagement at the Village Vanguard. Mingus wrote the liner notes together with his then psychotherapist Edmund Pollock.

Mingus himself described the orchestral style as ethnic folk-dance music. Critics hear jazz and classical music in it, with elements of African music and Spanish themes. Q described the atmosphere as a blend of twilight blues, dancing vitality and Andalusian heat. The record is regarded as one of the most acclaimed jazz albums of the twentieth century and as one of Mingus's two major works, alongside Mingus Ah Um. AllMusic calls it one of the greatest achievements in jazz orchestration.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Track A – Solo Dancer6:37Apple Music ↗
2. 2Track B – Duet Solo Dancers6:43Apple Music ↗
3. 3Track C – Group Dancers7:20Apple Music ↗
4. 4Mode D – Trio and Group Dancers / Mode E – Single Solos and Group Dance / Mode F – Group and Solo Dance18:37Apple Music ↗

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