This group is dedicated to the life and work of Charles Mingus. Charles Mingus is one of jazz's most iconic and prolific figures. During the span of his career his creativity and angst leveled a path through the 20th century with all the might and fury of a rodeo bull. Demanding, uncompromising, confrontational, and generally irascible, Mingus had all the makings of a genius. A bass player who brought his instrument to the forefront of jazz ensembles like nobody has before or since. Physically large and intimidating, he was known to, literally, throw his weight around. On many occasions he fought with band memebers on and off the band stand and regularly scolded unattentive audiences. There are endless anecdotes of Mingus exploding into violent fits which usually ended when Mingus started swinging his fists. Charles Mingus was very well known for being a skilled band leader and a virtuoso on the bass but, to this day, he is not given the credit he deserves for his accomplishments as a composer. He is, bar-none, the most under-rated composer of the 20th century. As far as his work as a jazz composer, he can only be equated to Ellington and to broaden the scope to include all 20th century composers, he definitely falls with the ranks of Strauss, Stravinsky and Ives. His music, which he would not classify as jazz or any other generic classification, ranges beyond any conventional idiom. He was, arguably, America's first third-stream musician. He combined elements from all his musical experiences, including, modern-classical, gospel, blues, bebop, New Orleans Jazz, Swing, and world music. By far, his greatest influence was Duke Ellington but he admired many others including, Jelly Roll Morton, Charlie Parker, Bach, and Stravinsky. Perpetually transcending, Mingus refused to be victimized by a style. At the same time, he was profoundly in touch with the roots of Black and Amercan music as expressed in his 1960 album Blues & Roots. Mingus was also one of the first mid-20th century jazz musicians to speak openly about social and racial injustices. He expressed himself furiously in "Fables of Faubus" (a song about the notorious Arkansas governor who made attempts to keep Arkansas' schools segregated) and "Oh Lord, Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me." He was often humorous as heard in "If Charlie Parker Was A Gunslinger, There'd Be A Whole Lot Of Dead Copycats." ("Gunslinging Bird") Charles Mingus was born in Nogales, Arizona on April 22, 1922. His mother was Black and Chinese and his father was Black and Swedish. Mingus' birth mother died soon after she gave birth to Charles and the family soon moved to the city of Watts in Los Angeles County. Growing up, Mingus found it hard to fit in. He didn't look Black, Mexican, or White and he often struggled with his identity. He was frequently teased and given the name, "half-yellow shit-colored mother fucker." He was a misfit and an underdog from the start. This would become an underlying theme throughout his life and career which he would later express in his controversial 1971 autobiography, "Beneath the Underdog." During his career, Mingus consistently struggled with his raging emotions. Delving in and out of rages and depression, Mingus could be as gentle as a child or as volatile as a bottle of nitroglycerin. Charles died in 1979 of Lou Gehrig's Disease. He was 56 years old. His last work was on an album that he and Joni Mitchell collaborated on which was later titled "Mingus" and released after his death. He was too weak to play so he hummed tunes into a tape recorder and Mitchell later added lyrics. Ironically, many years after his death, the underdog struck back from the grave with his 4,000 measure epic which he had mysteriously titled "Epitaph." It was a work that he was very proud of which he had previously tried to perform at Town Hall in 1962 in an unconventional manner. He wanted to perform it like a recording session but in front of a live audience, unfortunately, it was hastily organized and it turned out to be a huge disaster and the major artistic disappointment of his life. It wasn't until Andrew Homzy (musicologist) was cataloging Mingus' work that it was discovered. Upon its discovery, Gunther Schuller (conductor/friend) arranged an all-star cast of musicians to perform the two and one-half hour piece. Today, "Epitaph" is considered a Mingus master-work and universally lauded as one of the single greatest contributions to jazz of the 20th century. And thanks to Mingus' wife, Sue Mingus, the Mingus legacy remains alive and well. She actively coordinates the direction of Mingus' music and works with his ghost bands, The Mingus Dynasty, The Mingus Orchestra, and The Mingus Big Band. Notably, after his death, the National Endowment for the Arts provided grants for a Mingus foundation called "Let My Children Hear Music" which catalogued all of Mingus' works. They were given to the Music Division of the New York Public Library where they're available for study, research, and scholarships, the first time this has ever happened in jazz! Charles Mingus' life was filled with passion, fury, and beauty. The hard times he experienced act as the formula that brought us his life's work and which accurately represents the full range of human emotion, from hot to cold, beautiful to ugly. So let this group be a tribute that, the art of Mingus. I encourage everyone to share info, news, stories, and art. Suggestions and info are always welcomed and appreciated.