A ‘Weird’ Salute to Mingus

Remember Hal Willner?

He’s the adventurous producer who previously has gathered together such disparate artists as Deborah Harry, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Jackson, Carla Bley, Dr. John, Johnny Griffin and NRBQ to collectively assemble delightful homages to Thelonious Monk, Nino Rota, Kurt Weill--and themes from Walt Disney films.

“Weird Nightmare,” saluting the music of Charles Mingus, is Willner’s latest effort.

The Mingus package, due out in late summer on Sony Music, will spotlight a typically diverse crew. Rolling Stone Keith Richards will play “Oh Lord Don’t Let Them Drop That Atom Bomb on Me,” saxophonist Henry Threadgill will perform “Meditations on Integration” and Elvis Costello will sing the title track.

The collection will also include readings. Rapper Chuck D, author Hubert Selby Jr. and rocker-poet Henry Rollins will read portions of “Beneath the Underdog,” Mingus’ autobiography, and singer-composer Leonard Cohen will recite Mingus’ poem “The Chill of Death.”

Three rhythm sections are to be employed, featuring guitarist Bill Frisell, pianist Don Byron and drummers Charlie Watts and Bobby Previte.

“I always wanted to do Mingus. I thought his music would work well in creating a sort of nightmare journey through a body of work that can utilize all these different artists,” said Willner, adding that the project turned out cinematically.

“Each number seems to blend into the next. It feels like a movie without the picture,” he said. .