Charles Mingus: Dizzy Moods

It seems like such a cliché to refer to a Mingus arrangement as eccentric, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. "Dizzy Moods," based on Gillespie's "Woody 'n' You," is not your typical jazz piece from 1957 (or anytime?). The front line's short opening fanfare is followed by the individual members of the rhythm section introducing themselves and then the theme starts. One can certainly hear Mingus's devotion to the craft of Duke Ellington in the ensemble sections, but this casual idolatry falls away in short order to reveal a singular vision. This music always sounds so loose despite the metric shifts here and there, which for experienced Mingus listeners may not seem jarring, but I'm trying to think how I would have reacted to this music for first time back in the day.