Charles Mingus Sextet: Live in Oslo 1964

Today marks the centennial of the birth of the late jazz legend Charles Mingus. It’s hard to put into words the impact he had on the music world, but it’s safe to say that his compositions were highly influential to generations of musicians across all genres.

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, featuring Eric Dolphy, Dannie Richmond, Jaki Byard, Clifford Jordan, and Johnny Coles.

The set begins with an epic and exploratory version of “So Long Eric,” which has changing feels and textures over 20 minutes. (Be sure to check out Mingus trading solos and mind-melding with drummer Dannie Richmond.) They then perform “Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk”, “Parkeriana (aka Ow)”, and finally “Take the A Train.”

As Mingus Dynasty bassist and musical director Boris Kozlov recently told me, the mid-60s proved to be the height of Mingus’ bass playing abilities. His ideas flow freely on the instrument.

Happy 100th to Charles Mingus!