Plans are in the works to update jazz guru Charles Mingus' music for ageneration reared on musical recycling. The as-of-yet untitled tribute album,tentatively scheduled for a Christmas release on Atlantic Records, iscurrently being shaped by Mingus' daughter Keki, Bush guitarist Nigel Pulsfordand his sister, Jan (a k a Madame La Puls).
Jan Pulsford, a touring keyboardist for the Thompson Twins and Cyndi Lauperduring the '80s, is slated to produce the album with Nigel at her Nashvillestudio, English Valley, where the two are currently holed up. Nigel's interestin Mingus stems from his college days, when the jazz great was a frequenttopic in his music classes. The Pulsfords and Keki are also working closelywith Mingus' widow, Sue, on the project.
"They made a Mingus tribute album [on Sony] a couple of years ago that wasvery intellectual jazz," says Nigel, "We want to show that Mingus is moreabout joy, regular dancing and fun."
Pulsford and Co. plan to make Mingus fun again by taking loops and samplesfrom some of Mingus' jazz masterpieces and re-shaping them into entirely newpieces. According to Jan, David Bowie will provide a re-tooled version of "HogCallin' Blues," Chaka Khan is adding lyrics to "What Love" and Cyndi Lauper isalso toying with a track. Rapper Sir Jam, who has previously worked with TheArtist, is dropping rhymes over the music to "E's Flat, Ah's Flat Two,"creating the more contemporary "Mingus Da Genius." Nigel, who is laying downguitar riffs on several tracks, is fooling around with "PithecanthropusErectus" and "Passions of a Man," among others. Whether or not Bush willcontribute a track as an entire band is still up in the air. Lead singer GavinRossdale is currently overseas writing songs for Bush's next album, accordingto Nigel.
Other artists who have shown interest in contributing their talents includeSarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, and Kat Dyson and Rhonda Smithfrom the New Power Generation. Puff Daddy and the Wallflowers are also onJan's wish list.
"We want to do something that would introduce Mingus to the youngergeneration, but we don't want it to be a reverent-type tribute album," saysJan. "We want it to be hip." Keki echoes the sentiment: "We're hoping to dosomething MTV-ish but still respectable. We're not bastardizing the music."
All profits from the sale of the album will go to the Let the Children HearMusic Foundation, a non-profit organization started by Sue Mingus severalyears ago. The proceeds will eventually help open the doors to two new musicinstitutes in Watts, Calif. and Harlem, New York -- something Mingus himselftried to do in the 1960s but, for various reasons, could not get off theground before his death in 1979. The planned Mingus Institutes will helpfurther the arts in areas where funding is limited. In addition, Keki hopesthat gearing the record toward a younger audience will help bridge thegeneration gap between her father's music and the hip-hop nation.
"The previous album was just a bunch of old codgers," says Keki. "I hated it.That's why my step-mom and I are working together, 'cause I'm much younger,and I have a whole different bunch of people I like. She didn't even know whoBush was."
KEVIN RAUB