Charles Mingus

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mingus was born in Nogales, Arizona, in 1922, to Charles Mingus Sr., a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, and Harriet Sophia Mingus. His family moved to the Watts area of Los Angeles shortly after his birth. He studied trombone, and later cello, but was unable to follow the cello professionally because it was nearly impossible for a black musician to make a career of classical music, and the cello was not accepted as a jazz instrument. He took up double bass in high school, studying for five years with Herman Reinshagen, principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic, and compositional techniques with Lloyd Reese. Due to a poor education, the young Mingus could not read musical notation quickly enough to join the local youth orchestra, leaving him feeling ostracized from the classical music world. These early experiences, in addition to his lifelong confrontations with racism, were reflected in his music, which often focused on themes of racism, discrimination, and (in)justice. Mingus gained a reputation as a bass prodigy. His first major professional job was playing with former Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard. He toured with Louis Armstrong in 1943, and by early 1945 was recording in Los Angeles in a band led by Russell Jacquet. He then played with Lionel Hampton's band in the late 1940s; Hampton performed and recorded several Mingus pieces. In 1953, Mingus was briefly a member of Duke Ellington's band, as a substitute for bassist Wendell Marshall, but was fired by Ellington after a backstage fight between Mingus and Juan Tizol. Also in the early 1950s, Mingus played gigs with Charlie Parker, whose compositions and improvisations greatly inspired and influenced him. In 1952, Mingus co-founded Debut Records with Max Roach. On May 15, 1953, Mingus joined Dizzy Gillespie, Parker, Bud Powell, and Roach for a concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, which is the last recorded documentation of Gillespie and Parker playing together. Mingus often worked with a mid-sized ensemble (around 8–10 members) of rotating musicians known as the Jazz Workshop, constantly demanding that his musicians be able to explore and develop their perceptions on the spot.

Reader's Guide

The 1950s are generally regarded as Mingus's most productive and fertile period. Over a ten-year period, he made 30 records for a number of labels (Atlantic, Candid, Columbia, Impulse!, and others). 1956 was a breakthrough year with the release of *Pithecanthropus Erectus*, arguably his first major work as both a bandleader and composer. The title song is a ten-minute tone poem depicting the rise of man from his hominid roots (*Pithecanthropus erectus*) to an eventual downfall, with a section of free improvisation, free of structure or theme. Another album from this period, *The Clown* (1957, also on Atlantic Records), the title track of which features narration by humorist Jean Shepherd, was the first to feature drummer... Mingus's compositions continue to be played by contemporary musicians ranging from the repertory bands Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, and Mingus Orchestra to high school students who play the charts and compete in the Charles Mingus High School Competition. In 1993, the Library of Congress acquired Mingus's collected papers—including scores, sound recordings, correspondence, and photos—in what it called 'the most important acquisition of a manuscript collection relating to jazz in the Library's history'.

Did You Know?

• Mingus studied cello before taking up double bass, and his teacher Red Callender commented that the cello was still Mingus's main instrument even after he began bass lessons.
• Mingus was one of the few musicians personally fired by Duke Ellington, after a backstage fight between Mingus and Juan Tizol.
• At the 1955 club date billed as a 'reunion' with Parker, Powell, and Roach, Mingus took a microphone and announced, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, please don't associate me with any of this. This is not jazz. These are sick people.'
• Mingus co-founded Debut Records with Max Roach in 1952 so he could conduct his recording career as he saw fit.
• In 1993, the Library of Congress acquired Mingus's collected papers, calling it 'the most important acquisition of a manuscript collection relating to jazz in the Library's history'.