April 2022 Composer of the Month – Charles Mingus

California Conservatory of Music is continuing to celebrate Composer of the Month and honoring Jazz Appreciation Month by remembering Charles Mingus, a composer, double bassist, and jazz pianist.

Charles Mingus’s Personal Life

Charles Mingus was born on April 22, 1922, in Nogales, Arizona. However, he was raised largely in Los Angeles, California. His mother’s paternal heritage was Chinese and historical records show that his dad was the offspring of a mulatto farmhand and his employer’s granddaughter.

Defined by many as irascible, demanding, and probably a genius, Mingus chose a uniquely iconoclastic path for himself through jazz in the middle of the twentieth century.

He created a legacy that was universally lauded. Mingus’s mother allowed only church-related music in the home; however, he developed an early passion and love for jazz, particularly Ellington’s music. Specifically, Mingus studied trombone and cello.

Life as a Composer

Charles Mingus was a famous American jazz double bassist, composer, pianist, and bandleader. He was a chief proponent of collective improvisation and is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential jazz musicians and music composers in history.

Charles Mingus gained a reputation as a bass prodigy. He even toured with the famous Louis Armstrong in 1943 and played with Lionel Hampton’s band.

His career spanned over three decades and includes collaborations with many other jazz legends, like Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Dannie Richmond, and Herbie Hancock. You should know that Mingus was briefly an important member of Ellington’s band in the 1950s.

Note that Mingus’s music compositions continue to be played by many contemporary musicians and artists ranging from several repertory bands such as Mingus Dynasty, Mingus Big Band, and Mingus Orchestra to inspiring high school students who like playing the charts and competing in the famous Charles Mingus High School Competition.

In 1942, Mingus played bass with Barney Bigard’s famous ensemble, which also featured trombonist Kid Ory. In the subsequent year, Charles began studying symphonic form and technique formally with Herman Rheinschagen. Mingus toured with Lionel Hampton’s band starting in 1946. In 1950, he gained national attention and fame as a member of Red Norvo’s trio.

Did you know that he also founded the notable Jazz Workshop in 1955? And in 1964, he started his record company, which became popular as Charles Mingus Enterprises.

Notably, in 1993, the Library of Congress acquired Charles Mingus’s collected papers, including sound recordings, scores, correspondence, and photographs in what the Library described as one of the most important acquisitions of a manuscript collection relating to jazz music in its history. This is why students taking music lessons at the California Conservatory of Music are inspired by his work.

EPITAPH

Many consider Epitaph as the masterwork of Charles Mingus. Did you know that it’s a composition that is over 4,000 measures long and requires 2 hours to perform? It was completely discovered during an important cataloging process following his death by renowned musicologist Andrew Homzy.

And with the assistance of a financial grant from the Ford Foundation, the instrumental parts and score were copied. Note that the piece was premiered by a huge 30-piece orchestra, professionally conducted by Gunther Schuller. If you are considering taking piano or violin lessons, you should be familiar with his work.

Notable Facts

• A popular and excellent trio of Mingus, Tal Farlow, and Red Norvo in 1950 and 1951 received considerable critical acclaim.
• In 1972, Mingus’s autobiography Beneath the Underdog was published.

Since his death, Mingus’s fame and importance increased remarkably, thanks mainly to the determined efforts of his widow, Sue Mingus. Also, a posthumous group, Mingus Dynasty, was formed immediately following his death. The concept was expanded considerably in 1991 into the exciting and prolific Mingus Big Band, which has managed to resurrect many of Charles Mingus’s most challenging scores.

If you are looking for violin or piano lessons, Sunnyvale music lessons and Redwood City Music Lessons can provide developmentally appropriate music education for young children, introducing various concepts such as body movement, rhythm, and singing to preschoolers and toddlers.