Que Viva Mingus! is an album dedicated to
Mingus' considerable output of Latin-influenced jazz. The selections here include well-known
Mingus compositions like "Los Mariachis," "Dizzy Moods," "Ysabel's Table Dance," and "Cumbia and Jazz Fusion," as well as some more obscure titles like "Slippers" and "Moods in Mambo," the album's oldest number, dating from 1949. Among the standout soloists are
Randy Brecker on trumpet,
John Stubblefield on tenor sax,
Steve Slagle on soprano and alto saxes,
Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Dave Kikowski on piano. This is exciting, joyous, raucous, and still modern-sounding music, as fresh and challenging as the day it was written. And you can even dance to some of it. ~ Joel Roberts