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Charles Mingus
Biography
Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist. Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music. Yet Mingus avoided categorization, forging his own brand of music that fused tradition with unique and unexplored realms of jazz. Mingus focused on collective improvisation, similar to the old New Orleans jazz parades, paying particular attention to how each band member interacted with the group as a whole. In creating his bands, Mingus looked not only at the skills of the available musicians, but also their personalities. Many musicians passed through his bands and later went on to impressive careers. He recruited talented and sometimes little-known artists whom he assembled into unconventional and revealing configurations. As a performer, Mingus was a pioneer in double bass technique, widely recognized as one of the instrument's most proficient players. Nearly as well known as his ambitious music was Mingus' often fearsome temperament, which earned him the nickname "The Angry Man of Jazz. " His refusal to compromise his musical integrity led to many on-stage eruptions, exhortations to musicians, and dismissals. Because of his brilliant writing for mid-size ensembles—and his catering to and emphasizing the strengths of the musicians in his groups—Mingus is often considered the heir of Duke Ellington, for whom he expressed great admiration. Indeed, Dizzy Gillespie had once claimed Mingus reminded him "of a young Duke", citing their shared "organizational genius. " Mingus' music was once believed to be too difficult to play without Mingus' leadership, and Gunther Schuller has suggested that Mingus should be ranked among the most important American composers, jazz or otherwise. However, many musicians play Mingus compositions today, from those who play with the repertory bands Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, and Mingus Orchestra, to the high school students who play the charts and compete in the Charles Mingus High School Competition. In 1988, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts made possible the cataloging of Mingus compositions, which were then donated to the Music Division of the New York Public Library for public use. In 1993, The Library of Congress acquired Mingus's collected papers—including scores, sound recordings, correspondence and photos—in what they described as "the most important acquisition of a manuscript collection relating to jazz in the Library's history".
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Discography
- Pithecanthropus Erectus: 1955-1957, 1999
- Mingus Ah Um, 1959
- Pithycanthropus Erectus, 1985
- Mysterious Blues, 2005
- Blue Bird, 1971
- Fables of Faubus, 1999
- Mingus Plays Piano, 1964
- Changes Two, 1975
- The Complete Bremen Concert, 2010
- Pithecanthropus Erectus, 1996
- Oh Yeah, 1999
- Plays It Cool, 2000
- The Salle Wagram Concert - Complete Edition, 2009
- The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, 1995
- The Complete Debut Recordings, 1990
- Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife, 1988
- Lock 'em Up, 2002
- The Clown, 1998
- Live in Oslo 1964, Volume 2, 1992
- Me, Myself an Eye, 1979
- Blues & Roots, 1960
- Charles Mingus Orchestra With Eric Dolphy 1964, Volume 2: Fables of Faubus
- Kind of Mingus, 2009
- The Best of Charles Mingus, 1970
- Bremen 1975
- The Great Concert, Paris 1964 (disc 2), 1991
- Mingus at Antibes, 1986
- Meditations on Integration, 1992
- Mingus
- Timeless Charles Mingus, 2002
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, 1995
- The Young Rebel, 2004
- The Complete Candid Recordings of Charles Mingus, 1989
- Priceless Jazz Collection, 1997
- Cumbia & Jazz Fusion, 1994
- Lionel Hampton Presents Charles Mingus, 2000
- Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Volume 1
- Meditation, 1987
- Music Written for Monterey 1965 Not Heard... Played in Its Entirety at UCLA, 2006
- Reincarnation of a Love Bird, 1963
- Charles Mingus and the Newport Rebels, 2010
- Ken Burns Jazz: Charles Mingus, 2000
- East Coasting, 1958
- The Complete Birdland Broadcasts 1961-1962
- The Savoy Recordings - Part 1, 2010
- New Tijuana Moods, 1996
- Town Hall Concert (Music Played on European Tour '64), 1992
- Tonight at Noon, 1998
- Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus, 2000
- Alternate Takes
- The Art of Charles Mingus: The Atlantic Years (disc 1), 1973
- Mingus in Wonderland, 1994
- Paris 1964, 1993
- Paris 1964, Volume 2, 1995
- Pre Bird, 1961
- Changes One, 1975
- 1964-04-14: Old Fellow Palaet's Store Sal, Copenhagen, Denmark (disc 2)
- Town Hall Concert, 1964
- Live in Stockholm 1964
- 1964-04-14: Old Fellow Palaet's Store Sal, Copenhagen, Denmark (disc 1)
- Charles Mingus, 1989
- Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert, 1973
- Three or Four Shades of Blues, 1977
- 1959, 2003
- Something Like a Bird, 1980
- Live in Copenhagen 1964, 1991
- The Charles Mingus Quintet + Max Roach
- The Savoy Recordings - Part 2, 2010
- Trios, 2002
- Charles Mingus's Finest Hour, 2002
- Let My Children Hear Music, 1972
- West Coast 1945-49, 2000
- Mingus at Carnegie Hall
- Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956–1961), 1997
- Passions of a Man (disc 3), 1979
- Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, 1995
- Live in Chateauvallon, 1972
- Revenge! (disc 2), 1996
- The Great Concert of Charles Mingus, 2004
- 1976-08-16: Jazzhaus, Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Debut Rarities, Volume 3, 1993
- Passions of a Man (disc 2), 1979
- Mingus Moves, 1993
- Debut Rarities, Volume 4, 1994
- Better Git It in Your Soul, 1992
- Stockholm 1964 & Antibes 1960, 2007
- New York Sketch Book, 1986
- The Impulse Story, 2006
- His Final Work, 1994
- Strings and Keys, 1953
- Jazz Composers Workshop
- Mingus Three, 1997
- Mingus Dynasty, 1960
- Columbia Jazz Profiles: Charles Mingus, 2007
- Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop, 1964
- Tijuana Moods, 2010
- The Jazz Experiments of Charlie Mingus
- Live at Birdland 1962
- The Very Best of Charles Mingus, 2001
- Tijuana Moods (bonus disc)
- The Art of Charles Mingus: The Atlantic Years (disc 2), 1973
- Jazz Composers Workshop No. 2, 1956
- Mingus at the Bohemia, 1990
- Nice Jazz Festival 1972
- Charles Mingus: Original Album Series, 2011
- Folk Forms, 2002
- A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry With Charles Mingus, 2001
- Village Vanguard 1975 (disc 2)
- Epitaph (disc 2)
- Coleção Folha clássicos do jazz, Volume 19, 2008
- Minor Intrusion, 1992
- Village Vanguard 1975 (disc 1)
- Pithecanthropus Erectus + The Clown
- Midnite Jazz & Blues: Free Jazz Moods, 2000
- Thirteen Pictures: The Charles Mingus Anthology, 1993
- Revenge! (disc 1), 1996
- Mingus in Europe, Volume 1, 1979
- Immortal Concerts: Jazz Festival, Antibes, July 13, 1960, 1996
- Live in Europe
- Cornell 1964, 2007
- Legendary Trios
- Midnite Jazz & Blues: Just for Laughs, 2000
- Modern Jazz Archive, 2004
- Charles Mingus Orchestra With Eric Dolphy 1964, Volume 1: Hope So Eric
- This Is Jazz, Volume 6, 1996
- With Orchestra, 1990
- The Bass Player, 2001
- Changes Live
- Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Volume 2
- Mingus in Europe, Volume 2
- Live In Oslo 1964
- Jazzical Moods
- The Collection, 1993
- Mingus Revisited, 1965
- The Millennium Collection, 2007
- Charles Mingus Orchestra With Eric Dolphy 1964, Volume 3: Parkeriana
- Charles Mingus and Friends, 1992
- In a Soulful Mood, 1995
- The Great Concert, Paris 1964 (disc 1), 1991
- Mingus at Monterey, 1997
- Paris TNP, 1988
- Keystone Korner
- The Very Best Of, 2006
- Epitaph, 1990
- Portrait: Charles Mingus, 2000
- Passions of a Man (disc 1), 1979
- Charles Mingus Live
- Astral Weeks, 1990
- Intrusions
- The Complete Town Hall Concert
- Charles Mingus in Paris, 2007
This entry is automatically sourced from Musicbrainz , the public domain music
database. Visit the
Charles Mingus page on Musicbrainz to correct or update this entry.
Any changes made to the article will not be immediately
available here. The ABC is not responsible for the content of
external sites.
Recently Played on ABC Jazz.
| Song | Jelly Roll |
| Artist | Charles Mingus |
| Album | Mingus Ah Um |
| Label | Columbia |
| Year | 1959 |
| Song | Boogie Stop Shuffle |
| Artist | Charles Mingus |
| Album | Mingus Ah Um |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| Year | 1959 |
| Song | West Coast Ghost |
| Artist | Charles Mingus |
| Album | East Coasting |
| Label | Avenue Jazz |
| Year | 1957 |
| Song | Vassarlean |
| Artist | Charles Mingus |
| Album | In A Soulful Mood |
| Label | Music Club |
| Year | 1960 |
| Song | Fables Of Faubus |
| Artist | Charles Mingus |
| Album | Charles Mingus - This Is Jazz |
| Label | Columbia |
| Year | 1959 |
Media
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- YouTube Charles Mingus Moanin 9:02
- YouTube Charles Mingus Better Git It In Your Soul 7:25
- YouTube Charles Mingus Goodbye Pork Pie Hat 9:30
- YouTube Charles Mingus Flowers For A Lady 1974 9:14
- YouTube Charles Mingus Sextet featuring Eric Dolphy Take The A Train 9:57
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Links
Artist Website
On the ABC
- ABC Classic FM Music Details: Sunday 25 February 2001
- The Space - Music Review
- ABC - DIG - 30/10/2002: Legendary Producer Dead
- The Music Show - 1 November 2003 - 1st November, 2003
- Radio National - Nocturne 25/05/2003
- Night Air - 8 November 2009 - Nine
- The Planet - 31 July 2002 - Caoilte O'Suilleabhain/Shane Howard
- Radio National - The Planet Stories
- Caoilte O'Suilleabhain/Shane Howard - The Planet - 31/7/2002
- DIG Radio - Jazz Producer Ozzie Cadena Dies
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Links suggested here are generated automatically. The ABC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Page created on Jun 25, 2009. 3:46pm and updated on May 17, 2012. 1:17pm.
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Comments
The enigmatic Mingus stands tall today as one of America's great composers, band leaders, innovators and for having a unique fat bass sound. His life described in "Beneath The Underdog", is not only about his own struggles, but also about the sheer fight for dignified survival so many of his people endured. (Anybody interested in jazz or American social history should read this book.) Mingus teamwork with Danny Richmond on drums is some of the finest in jazz. He fostered other important talents in his bands too, incuding greats like 'Captain' John Handy. So many compliments could be heaped upon Charles Mingus; I particularly adore his compositions such as "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", "Better Git It In YOur Soul" and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting".
Note: Another book relating to African-American history worth reading is "Go Tell It On A Mountain", by the insightful James Baldwin. Another top recommendation Swingwombat!
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