Pithecanthropus Erectus

Notes

An absolutely remarquable Mingus album, this is the one that made him widely recognised, and his first for Atlantic.
Absolute buy, either in this form, or as part of the Passions of a Man Complete Atlantic box set.

Sessions Details

Recording Date: 1956/01/30
Location: Audio-Video Studios, New York City, USA
Additional:
Another track was recorded and rejected ("What Is This Thing Called Love?")

Matrix numbers as follow:
#1865 (A) Pithecanthropus Erectus
#1866 (A) A Foggy Day
#1867 (A) What Is This Thing Called Love? (lost)
#1868 (A) Love Chant
#1869 (A) Profile Of Jackie

Release History

There is two cover art: the original painting (a), and the US Mingus photo (b)

ASIN and details go as:
1987-07-07 Tue United States Atlantic 8809 075678145629 CD (b) (B000002I7U)
1991-02-25 Mon Japan Atlantic AMCY-1036 4988029103642 CD (a)
1996-05-20 Mon Europe Atlantic 79974 081227535728 CD (a) (B00000IH8W)
2002-09-23 Mon United Kingdom Atlantic - 0081227361624 CD (a) (B00006H679)
2005-12-07 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674059614 CD (a) (B000BDJ1Z6)
2007-01-24 Wed Japan Atlantic 648308 4943674068159 CD (a) (B000KHXFWS)
2008-02-20 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674077144 CD (a) (B0010OH7SS)
2009-05-27 Wed Japan Atlantic - 4943674089307 CD (a) (B001TZIKXY)

Tunes History

Pithecanthropus Erectus will only be played once after that, in 1970 during the America sessions. It has seen been covered by Hal Willner, and Paul Motian.

A Foggy Day (a Gershwin classic) had previously been played by Mingus with Hazel Scott (1955) and Max Roach (at the Bohemia, two takes, 1955) and will never be played again by him. All three renditions are on the Debut Complete set.

Profile of Jackie has been played only once, and has not been covered.

Love Chant was played twice before (again at the Bohemia), and never after. Herbie Mann, and Andrew Hill covered it.