Duet Solo Dancers by Charles Mingus
When I first listened to this song, I was engaged to its rhythm. I felt like it was telling a story. This song sounds like a black and white movie of like the twentieth century where there is some kind of ball going on. Then there is this lady that walks into the bar, where the ball is being held, and then looks across the room, with her gaze matching with that of a dashing, handsome young sailor. She is drawn to him as she walks over to him and pulls out a stick of cigarette and asks the young sailor for a light(er). He then, captivated by the beauty of this fair maiden, is pushed to light her cigarette. He then offers to buy her a drink which after a flirtatious gaze, obliges to the young sailor’s request. The young fine sailor, then orders a martini for the lady and him. They make a toast and start drinking. As they drink, they discuss. The young sailor then asks the fair maiden to dance. Which she accepts; and they step forward to the dance floor for a dance. He twirls her and they begin dancing, smiling at each other with every move they make. They dance so good and so wonderful that people on the dance floor, vacate the dance floor just for them too as they (the people) continue to marvel at the matching pair or the chemistry between them.
As this dance continues, the fair maiden’s husband bursts in and finds his wife engrossed in a rather enchanted, seductive gaze with the sailor. Out of anger and rage, her husband pulls out his pistol and begins shooting, creating chaos.
This jazz music begins with a soft, sweet, mild tempo form the bass instrument (when the ball was still going on) and then towards the end sounds the bass instrument becomes quite loud, dark and scary (shows when chaos begins after her husband burst’s in).
Created in the twentieth century, Charles Mingus was one of the greatest jazz players. The Duet Solo Dancer is from his album, “The black saint and the sinner lady”. He was a bassist, pianist and a composer. He claimed that “his accomplishments were a result of hard work and this talent for composition was from God”. All in all, This was a wonderful piece.