The Thin Man: Mingus

A mini tribute to Jon and Tim (aka Shank and Bludgeon)
When I was in college I had the good fortune of knowing two people with the most excellent music collection: roommates Jon and Tim. I spent loads of time at their place — eating their food, watching their movies, using Jon’s computer so I could write my papers in an environment more comfortable than the computer lab. And in all the times I was over, there was always — no exaggeration — always music playing. These guys woke up to music and fell asleep to music. Their individual collections covered an impressive range of genres; combined, it was just amazing.

The first time I heard The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady was at their place. Tim was rifling through his stuff when he decided on this album. “Trish, you’ll love this,” he predicted. The music played and immediately I pictured car headlights, shadows in alleyways, near empty diners, tough men in trench coats, and mysterious women with wavy hair that seductively draped over their eyes.

After listening to that album, I acquired my own Mingus collection. Whenever I hear his music, I don’t always imagine a detective story, but there’s definitely a narrative running through my brain. I like to to think the album covers function in a similar way.