Teo Macero worked as a saxophonist with Charles Mingus off and on from the late 1940s through the mid-'50s, and also produced some of his later records. This obscure Palo Alto LP, recorded shortly after Mingus' death, was Macero's first recording as a player (tenor, alto and flute) since 1957, although on most of the selections, his role as a musician is small. However, Macero was responsible for the eight selections which include tributes to Mingus, Thelonious Monk ("Monk's Funk") and Duke Ellington. The music is sometimes reminiscent of Mingus, particularly in his early, more classical-oriented days, and the notable personnel includes saxophonists Dave Liebman, Pepper Adams, John Stubblefield, Al Cohn, and Lee Konitz, trumpeters Jon Faddis and Ted Curson, flutist Dave Valentin, guitarist Ryo Kawasaki, and keyboardists Biff Hannon and Mike Nock, among many others. This will be a difficult album to find.
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