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Charles Mingus

Mingus Big Band Releases “The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions”
New Albums

Mingus Big Band Releases “The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions”

The legacy of Charles Mingus is continuing to be celebrated this year by his legacy bands. Now the Mingus Big Band has released “The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions,” which marks the 100th anniversary of the bassist and composer’s birth.

Mingus At 100
Interviews

Mingus At 100

April 22, 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of Charles Mingus's birth. The Mingus Dynasty band performed at Dizzy's Club in New York City in celebration, and we caught up with the bassists for this interview.

Charles Mingus Sextet: Live in Oslo 1964
Bass Videos

Charles Mingus Sextet: Live in Oslo 1964

Today marks the centennial of the birth of the late jazz legend Charles Mingus. We’re celebrating today with a full concert of his sextet live in Oslo during his European tour in 1964. The band is one of his most famous lineups.

Charles Mingus Sextet: Live in Stockholm (1964)
Bass Videos

Charles Mingus Sextet: Live in Stockholm (1964)

On April 13th, 1964, Charles Mingus took the stage in Stockholm, Sweden with his Sextet. This incredible footage (which has been colorized) is from the rehearsal before the concert.

“Mingus at Carnegie Hall” Gets Deluxe Reissue
New Albums

“Mingus at Carnegie Hall” Gets Deluxe Reissue

Forty-seven years ago, Charles Mingus performed with his band at Carnegie Hall. A live album, “Mingus At Carnegie Hall”, was issued but excluded much of the 2-hour performance. Now the full concert has been released as a deluxe edition.

Two Classic Charles Mingus Concerts Get Official Release
New Albums

Two Classic Charles Mingus Concerts Get Official Release

Two rare concerts by Charles Mingus are getting their first official release with “Charles Mingus @ Bremen 1964 & 1975”. Recorded in the German port city of Bremen, the performances showcase two stellar lineups of the bassist and composer’s band.

Classic Mingus Album Reissued on Vinyl
New Albums

Classic Mingus Album Reissued on Vinyl

The album often cited as legendary jazz bassist/composer Charles Mingus’ best, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, has been released in a limited, remastered vinyl edition after being long out of print on vinyl. Composed in part as a ballet, the work recorded by an 11-piece band features a spectacular rhythm section, Spanish influences, and extraordinary improvisation. It also...

Charles Mingus Quintet: So Long Eric
Bass Videos

Charles Mingus Quintet: So Long Eric

Today we’re celebrating Charles Mingus’s birthday. Here’s a video of one of my favorite Mingus tunes, “So Long Eric,” taken from Belgium’s “Jazz Pour Tous” TV program in April 1964. The quintet’s lineup includes drummer Dannie Richmond, pianist Jaki Byard, tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, and alto saxophonist Eric Dolphy, for whom the song is named. Often, the song is thought...

Carrying on the Mingus Dynasty: An Interview with Boris Kozlov
Interviews

Carrying on the Mingus Dynasty: An Interview with Boris Kozlov

It’s not easy to fill the shoes of a legend, and Charles Mingus has some huge shoes to fill. The iconic jazz bassist and composer left behind a body of work so massive, so complex, and so uniquely his own that it takes an equally rare musician to convey its spirit. Mingus’ music lives on through the Mingus Big Band,...

Mingus Speaks: Interviews with Charles Mingus (1972-1974)
News

Mingus Speaks: Interviews with Charles Mingus (1972-1974)

In 1972, Charles Mingus was making his return to the music scene, after a six or seven year layoff. Playboy writer John F. Goodman reviewed Mingus’ comeback concert that year, which brought the two together for various interviews between 1972 and 1974. The interviews were recorded by Goodman for a proposed memoir. Forty years later, these conversations are now collected...

Terri Lyne Carrington Releases “Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue”, Featuring Christian McBride
New Albums

Terri Lyne Carrington Releases “Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue”, Featuring Christian McBride

Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington has good taste in bassists, and her new album Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue is more evidence of that as she recruited Christian McBride to lay down the low end. The effort pays homage to the classic Duke Ellington album Money Jungle, which featured bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach, on its 50th anniversary. “I...

Columbia Releases Mingus Collection
New Albums

Columbia Releases Mingus Collection

Columbia is putting together some terrific “Collection” box sets for bassists and bass enthusiasts. Among those is Charles Mingus – the Complete Columbia & RCA Albums Collection, a 10-disc set spanning seven titles by the late bassist and composer. The set starts with Tijuana Moods, the lone RCA release in the collection, recorded in 1957 and released in 1962 as...