Recording history and tape provenance
Mingus, in particular, had a complicated history with Ellington: he'd briefly played in Ellington's orchestra in 1953, deputizing for the regular bassist, but was fired after just four days following a fight with trombonist Juan Tizol. According to Douglas's own account, the session came together almost by accident – Ellington paid him a surprise visit suggesting a piano-trio record, Douglas suggested Mingus, and Mingus insisted on Roach.
The results are unlike anything else in Ellington's catalog: angular, tense, and modernist in a way that lets all three musicians push each other rather than settle into a comfortable elder-statesman showcase. That tension wasn't only musical – contemporary accounts describe a real argument during the session that led to Mingus walking out of the studio, bass in hand, with Ellington personally following him to bring him back (accounts differ on whether this happened in the elevator or out on the street). One commonly cited explanation for Mingus's frustration is the album's songwriting credits: every track but one was written by Ellington, with the sole exception ("Caravan") co-credited to trombonist Juan Tizol – meaning none of Mingus's own compositions made the record, on a date where he was otherwise treated as a full creative equal. Whatever the full story, the friction evidently outlasted the session itself: a planned follow-up album with the same trio was reportedly scrapped afterward, the three musicians apparently uninterested in repeating the experience. Most of the seven tracks on the original LP were written specifically for this date, with only "Warm Valley," "Caravan," and "Solitude" drawn from Ellington's existing songbook. The album has been expanded on later CD reissues with eight additional tracks recorded at the same session. DownBeat's contemporary five-star review called the record "astonishing," with critic Don DeMicheal writing that he'd "never heard Ellington play as he does on this album," crediting Mingus and Roach for pushing the elder pianist into unfamiliar territory.
This is worth knowing before you buy any pressing of this title, vintage or modern: Ellington's piano has a consistently reported "wooly" or "jangly" quality across virtually every reissue, including the well-regarded Tone Poet edition. One detailed Discogs review pushes back specifically and usefully on where to place the blame: the complaints about piano distortion "have nothing to do with Kevin Gray or the TP's [Tone Poet's] pressing quality but entirely because of the inherently poor production job done by Bill Schwartau," the original 1962 engineer. That's a reasonable, specific technical claim rather than just an opinion – it means no reissue, however carefully mastered, is likely to "fix" this characteristic, because it was baked into the original recording chain rather than introduced by any particular remastering or pressing decision. Some listeners find this only a minor distraction from genuinely exceptional performances; others find it a real irritant. Either way, don't assume a premium modern pressing will sound meaningfully cleaner on the piano specifically than a good vintage original.
Separately, at least one detailed owner comparison found a specific later reissue (a 1971 Japanese pressing) preferable to a different reissue they'd bought expecting an improvement – reporting that the newer copy removed "the soul and tension of the original" in favor of "a squeaky-clean generic tone," and that it didn't even address the drum-related issue they were hoping it would fix (muted-sounding drums, which they identify as a bigger irritant to them than the piano). This is a matter of real listener disagreement about which pressing best serves the performance, not a simple "newer is better" story.
Sound quality by pressing
The United Artists UAJS 15017 (1963 original) is the true first pressing, on grey labels with black lettering, Plastylite pressed with the "ear" mark in the dead wax on both sides. Given the sound characteristics discussed above are largely baked into the original recording, a clean original doesn't sacrifice much compared to modern remasters on this specific title.
The Blue Note Tone Poet reissue is mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog stereo master tapes. A well-regarded modern pressing in general, though as discussed above, it doesn't and can't resolve the piano-sound characteristic rooted in the original 1962 engineering. One detail worth knowing if you own a copy: despite being sold and marketed through Blue Note's own store, the record label physically printed on the disc itself reads "United Artists Jazz" rather than Blue Note – the original label this title was released on, retained even in Blue Note's reissue rather than replaced with Blue Note's own branding.
A yellow-label Solid State pressing circulated in the late 1960s as a straightforward repress. More recently, a Spanish reissue label (Jazz Images) has issued a 180-gram colored vinyl edition including the expanded bonus-track program found on CD reissues, with new liner notes – a legitimate, affordable modern option if you specifically want the additional session material on vinyl.
Buyer's guide by budget
$$: The Jazz Images 180g colored vinyl reissue, or a Solid State late-1960s repress.
$$$: The Blue Note Tone Poet reissue – solid modern mastering, though it won't meaningfully change the piano-sound characteristic discussed above.
$$$$: A clean United Artists UAJS 15017 original, condition-dependent.
Pressing tier summary
| Tier ⇅ | Pressing | Cat# | Year ⇅ | Format | Source / Mastering | Notes | Market ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Blue Note Tone Poet | – | – | Stereo, 33⅓, 180g | Kevin Gray, from the original analog stereo master | Well-regarded modern reissue; does not resolve the piano-sound characteristic rooted in the original 1962 recording | – |
| A | United Artists (original) | UAJS 15017 | 1963 | Stereo, 33⅓ | Bill Schwartau / United Artists lacquer, Plastylite pressed | First pressing; grey labels, black lettering | $108VG+ $141NM $157M |
| B | Jazz Images 180g reissue | – | – | Stereo, 33⅓, 180g, colored vinyl | Not independently confirmed | Includes expanded bonus-track program from the same session | – |
References
- Discogs (master, all versions): https://www.discogs.com/master/129362
- Wikipedia, "Money Jungle": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_Jungle
- Audiophile Review, "Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus & Max Roach's Money Jungle Tone Poet Vinyl Reissue": https://audiophilereview.com/audiophile-music/duke-ellington-charles-mingus-max-roachs-money-jungle-tone-poet-vinyl-reissue/
- Steve Spins Records, "Duke Ellington Money Jungle Tone Poet Vinyl Review": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBfKjNkEmLU