Biography
Charles Mingus Jr. was born on April 22, 1922, in Nogales, Arizona, and raised in the Watts section of Los Angeles, where he studied cello as a child before switching to bass at age 16 under the tutelage of a symphonic musician. Of mixed heritage including African American, Chinese, and Swedish ancestry, he faced racial discrimination but emerged as a bass prodigy, playing professionally with Louis Armstrong in 1943, Barney Bigard, and later touring with Lionel Hampton's big band from 1947 to 1948. By the early 1950s, Mingus settled in New York, recording with jazz giants like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and Duke Ellington, while developing his unique style blending bebop, avant-garde, and collective improvisation inspired by New Orleans traditions.[1][2][3][5]
Mingus's career peaked in the mid-1950s when he co-founded Debut Records with Max Roach in 1952 to champion innovative young musicians and formed the Jazz Workshop to experiment with compositions and support emerging composers. He led groundbreaking ensembles, including a pivotal 1964 sextet featuring Dannie Richmond on drums, Jaki Byard on piano, Eric Dolphy on reeds, Johnny Coles on trumpet, and Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone, which performed extensively and was documented in live recordings like the Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964–65. His seminal albums—Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956), Mingus Ah Um (1959), The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963), and others—pioneered post-bop, progressive big band jazz, and fusions like Cumbia and Jazz Fusion (1976), emphasizing emotional depth, unconventional structures, and group interplay over rigid notation.[1][2][3][4]
Mingus's legacy as a virtuoso bassist, composer, bandleader, and pianist endures through over 100 albums and 300 scores, influencing jazz's evolution toward greater experimentation and social commentary. Despite battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in his final years, he continued performing until his death on January 5, 1979, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, leaving works like 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' and 'Half-Mast Inhibition' (premiered in 1955) as cornerstones of modern jazz composition.[1][2][5]
Fun Facts
- Mingus was also an accomplished pianist capable of a solo career but chose bass to lead bands[1].
- He co-founded Debut Records in 1952 with Max Roach as one of the earliest artist-owned jazz labels to support unrecorded young musicians[2][3].
- His 1961 composition 'Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me' was one of his first overtly political works debuted at the Jazz Workshop[3].
- Mingus wrote his first concert piece 'Half-Mast Inhibition' at age 17, recorded 20 years later by Gunther Schuller's 22-piece orchestra[1].
Members
- Roy Brooks - drums (drum set)
- Jon Faddis - trumpet
- John Foster - piano
- Bobby Jones - saxophone
- Charles McPherson - saxophone
- Charles Mingus - eponymous, original
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- H. Rheinhardt - Symphonic bassist who taught Mingus double bass technique foundational to his virtuoso style (Early technical development leading to professional gigs) [1938-1943]
- Duke Ellington - Major stylistic inspiration and collaborator who influenced Mingus's compositional ambitions (Recordings and performances in 1950s New York) [1950s]
Key Collaborators
- Dannie Richmond - Longtime drummer forming 'The Almighty Three' rhythm section with Mingus and Jaki Byard (The Clown (1957), 1964 Sextet albums like Town Hall concert, Changes One/Two (1974)) [1957-1979]
- Jaki Byard - Pianist in core trio and 1964 sextet (1964 Jazz Workshop Concerts, various Mingus ensembles) [1960s]
- Eric Dolphy - Reeds player in the 1964 sextet (Town Hall (1964), Monterey concerts (1964-65)) [1964]
- Max Roach - Co-founder of Debut Records and frequent drummer (Debut Records releases, Massey Hall concert (1953) with Parker and Gillespie) [1952-1950s]
Artists Influenced
- Many musicians through Jazz Workshop - Mentored emerging talents via ensembles and performances, launching careers (Jazz Workshop concerts and recordings) [1955-1960s]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Mingus Ah Um | 1959 | Album |
| Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus | 1963 | Album |
| The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady | 1963 | Album |
| Blues & Roots | 1960-03 | Album |
| Mingus Plays Piano | 1963 | Album |
| Mingus Ah Um | 1959 | Album |
| Let My Children Hear Music | 1972-02-01 | Album |
| The Clown | 1957 | Album |
| Mingus In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts | 2025-06-06 | Album |
| Pithecanthropus Erectus | 1956 | Album |
| Ellis Island | 2025-06-06 | Album |
| Jazzical Moods | 1955 | Album |
| Oh Yeah (Deluxe) | 1962 | Album |
| AH UM - 50th Anniversary (Legacy Edition) | 1959 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Mingus Ah Um)
- Mood Indigo (Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus)
- Better Git It in Your Soul (Mingus Ah Um)
- Moanin' (Blues & Roots)
- II B.S. - Edit (Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus)
- Track A- Solo Dancer (The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady)
- Boogie Stop Shuffle (Mingus Ah Um)
- Self-Portrait in Three Colors (Mingus Ah Um)
- Fables of Faubus (Mingus Ah Um)
- Track B- Duete Solo Dancers (The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady)
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Charles Mingus Sextet has been played 27 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station. Showing the 10 most recent plays.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2026 | 18:00 | It's Might As Well Be Springfrom Jazz Classics | Jazz from Jax Breweryw/ Keith Hill | |
| Jan 5, 2026 | 07:19 | HAITIAN FIGHT SONGfrom The Clown | The Morning Setw/ Stuart Hall | |
| Dec 22, 2025 | 06:32 | Perdidofrom Mingus at Carnegie Hall | The Morning Setw/ Stuart Hall | |
| Dec 19, 2025 | 00:35 | Jelly Roll | Midnight Music | |
| Dec 11, 2025 | 06:32 | Fables of Faubusfrom Cornell 1964 | The Morning Setw/ Scott Borne | |
| Dec 8, 2025 | 22:03 | Ecclusiasticsfrom Oh Yeah | Kitchen Sinkw/ Derrick Freeman | |
| Dec 8, 2025 | 22:03 | Fables Of Faubusfrom Mingus Ah Um [Remastered] | Kitchen Sinkw/ Derrick Freeman | |
| Dec 8, 2025 | 22:03 | Goodbye Pork Pie Hatfrom Mingus Ah Um [Remastered] | Kitchen Sinkw/ Derrick Freeman | |
| Dec 8, 2025 | 22:03 | Better Git It In Your Soulfrom Mingus Ah Um [50th Anniversary L | Kitchen Sinkw/ Derrick Freeman | |
| Dec 8, 2025 | 00:57 | Body and Soulfrom Mingus Plays Piano | The Dean's Listw/ Dean Ellis |