Charles Mingus is one of the greatest jazz musicians and composers in history, an American icon in the genre whose legacy has lived on long after his death in 1979. A fiercely passionate artist, Mingus was known for being religiously uncompromising with his compositions, prone to violent eruptions (he once punched renowned trombonist Jimmy Knepper so hard in the mouth it impacted Knepper’s playing ability for years), and an intimidating physical and mental presence, earning him the nomiker “The Angry Man of Jazz” during his lifetime. His love for collective improvisation was an essential ingredient to his success, as well as his eye for talent and band composition– Mingus was a kingmaker in the jazz world, collaborating with legends like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herbie Hancock throughout his storied career.
1959’s Mingus Ah Um is his magnum opus, penned as a love letter to his life story as well as his extensive list of influences. From his homage to the great Duke Ellington in “Open Letter To Duke”, to the explicitly political “Fables of Faubus” which is a protest song against Arkansas governor Orval Faubus who prevented racial integration in Little Rock that eventually led President Eisenhower to sending in the National Guard, Mingus covers extensive ground in Mingus Ah Um with a world-class cast of jazz virtuosos that stands the test of time.
Standout Songs: “Fables of Faubus”, “Open Letter To Duke”, “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”
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