Charles Mingus Essay -- Biographies Biography Mingus Essays

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus was born on 22 April 1922 in Los Angeles, California. His father joined the army in 1915 after a frustrating career in the post office. His mother died only five months after Mingus was born. The times were hard in Los Angeles, as more and more poor people migrated into the city, and the small suburb of Watts turned into a black ghetto inside of a single decade. But young Mingus was pretty much protected from all the social pressure. His family was basically middle-class. His father has remarried, and Mingus’ step mother had soon taken an active role in his education. Mamie Carson Mingus encouraged her step-children to take an interest in music. This has soon taken shape in the form of violin and piano lessons for Mingus’ older sisters. Apart from the sound of his sisters practicing, the only music allowed in the house was religious music picked up through the radio. But the radio also opened Mingus for African-American music, namely Jazz and Blues. The trips to the local church were also musical as well as spiritual. The yelling and shouting in the church were actually not so different from the sounds of a big band. Mingus had also taken to the piano, just by lifting the lid and trying the keys, and it had become clear to his parents that he had a good ear. At age six Mingus was given a trombone. After a few years of frustrating musical experiences, it was suggested that Mingus pick up the cello. As his interest in Jazz grew, especially after listening to Duke on the radio, he became convinced that the bass was his instrument. Mingus’ first bassist role model was Joe Comfort, who played with Lionel Hampton and Nat King Cole. Comfort lived in the same neighborhood, and was playing gigs with the musicians that Mingus grew up with. However, true inspiration came from meeting Red Callender, who came from the East Coast and played with the likes of Louis Armstrong. 16-year old Mingus became a devout follower and good friend. The sound that would later identify Mingus, full yet sharp, comes from directly from Callender’s influence. Another major influence on all young bassists of that period is the work of Jimmy Blanton with the Duke Ellington orchestra, which had broken new ground in terms of the exposure of the bass as a solo instrument and its unique role in Ellington’s compositions. Arou... ...es Two, with George Adams on tenor and avant-garde pianist Don Pullen. The full power of Mingus’ music with its frequent tempo changes and structural irregularity was finally completely realized. Especially the two center pieces in both albums, Sue’s Changes and Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue, show this clearly. Although the bass part is less pronounced then in earlier years, owing to Mingus deteriorating health, the other players more than make up for this, and render his music in a way which is true to his aesthetics. Mingus died on 5 January 1979 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In the last two years of his life he has lost the ability to play and later the use of his whole body. Mingus last works as a composer are songs he composed for Joni Mitchell by singing into a tape recorder. He was honored by many tributes after his death from his fellow musicians. Of special notice is the Epitaph project, led by Gunther Schuller which, while in my humble opinion is not very successful, tries to recapture the special spirit in Mingus’ music. Today the music of Mingus is still being played by the Mingus Big Band, formed by his widow Sue Graham Mingus.