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Charles Mingus

Strings And Keys (LP)

Label: Debut Records, Mythic Sound

Format: LP

Genre: Jazz

Out of stock

** Rare original copies. Second LP pressing on Mythic Sounds, numbered edition. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers. Comes with original hype sticker ** A landmark in early modern jazz returns: Strings And Keys, the rare and sought-after 1953 debut from legendary bassist Charles Mingus and pianist Spaulding Givens, is available once again in a meticulously crafted, limited edition reissue. Originally released on Debut Records (DLP-1), this session captures two visionary artists in a moment of pure, intimate dialogue-where Mingus’s resonant contrabass and Givens’s lyrical piano intertwine across a set of jazz standards and original compositions.

Strings And Keys is a testament to Mingus’s creative restlessness in the early 1950s, a period that saw him pushing the boundaries of jazz ensemble interplay and improvisation. The album features elegant renditions of classics like “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “Body and Soul,” and “Blue Moon,” alongside the hauntingly original “Blue Tide.” Each track is a study in restraint and invention, with Mingus’s deep, expressive bass lines anchoring Givens’s sophisticated harmonic explorations.

This special reissue, limited to just 1,000 hand-numbered copies, faithfully reproduces the original packaging, right down to the thick cardboard covers and Debut labels. Collectors will appreciate the attention to detail, including the hand-filled edition number and the rare “Distributed by NorthCountry Distributors” silver sticker-making each copy a unique artifact in its own right. Strings And Keys remains a hidden gem in Mingus’s discography-a snapshot of his artistry before his explosive mid-1950s breakthroughs, and a rare document of his work in the piano-bass duo format. For jazz aficionados and collectors alike, this is a chance to own a piece of jazz history, lovingly restored for a new generation of listeners.

 

Details
File under: Cool JazzBop
Cat. number: DLP-1, none
Year: 1980
Notes:
This is the limited edition reissue made in 1000 copies. Additional reissue information from "Hole in the Wall Books": "In the early Eighties the album was reissued as a 12-inch LP in an edition limited to 1,000 numbered copies by an anonymous collector, as were at least two other 10-inch Debut albums. This edition used very stiff, thick cardboard covers, on which the original package is faithfully replicated. Unlike the Fantasy reissues, which this edition resembled, these anonymous reissues carried no address other than that used on the original releases, and even faithfully reproduced the original labels. However, each has a pasted-on sticker which says, "This is number ____ of an edition limited to 1000 albums." The blank is filled in by hand, not by a number stamp. There is also a silver sticker which says, "Distributed by NorthCountry Distributors, Cadence Building, Redwood, NY 13679 USA 315-287-2852". By now these limited re-editions will themselves be rare."

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