Charlie Mingus

A virtuoso bassist, composer, pianist, arranger, and bandleader, Charles Mingus cut an indelible path through 20th century jazz, creating a legacy that continues to influence, instruct, and enrich. His powerful tone and unshakeable rhythmic facility drove an original music, ambitious yet earthy. Influenced musically and culturally by Black gospel, Mingus drew inspiration from each sound that grabbed him -- blues, New Orleans jazz, swing, bop, Latin traditions, classical, and avant-garde -- and adapted them for his ensembles. Influenced by Duke Ellington, Mingus grafted the mae...