Play Charles Mingus Radio

Charles Mingus

3,264,374 plays (272,914 listeners)

325 shouts

Add to my Library Share

(1922 – 1979)

Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979), was an American bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. He was also known for his activism against racial injustice.

Mingus’ legacy is notable: he is ranked among the finest composers and performers in jazz, and recorded many highly regarded albums. Dozens of musicians passed through his bands and later went on to impressive careers. His songs—though melodic and distinctive—are not often recorded by later musicians, due in part to their unconventional nature. Mingus was also influential and creative as a bandleader, recruiting talented and sometimes little-known artists whom he assembled into unconventional and revealing configurations.

Nearly as well known as his ambitious music was Mingus’ often fearsome temperament, which earned him the nickname “The Angry Man of Jazz.” His refusal to compromise his musical integrity led to many onstage explosions, though it has been argued that his temper also grew from a need to vent frustration. Ironically, a perfect show could irritate him by closing this outlet.

Mingus was prone to depression. He tended to have brief periods of extreme creative activity, intermixed with fairly long periods of greatly decreased output.

Most of Mingus’s music retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third Stream Jazz and free jazz.
Read more… Edit

Top Albums

See more

Top Tracks

1 Play
11,086
2 Play
9,435
3 Play
Boogie Stop Shuffle full track
9,115
4 Play
8,287
5 Play
Fables of Faubus full track
7,661
6 Play
Open Letter to Duke full track
7,544
7 Play
Pussy Cat Dues full track
7,154
8 Play
Jelly Roll full track
6,687
9 Play
Bird Calls full track
6,644
10 Play
Pedal Point Blues full track
5,277
11 Play
GG Train full track
4,437
12 Play
Girl of My Dreams full track
4,409
13 Play
Mood Indigo full track
4,061
14 Play
3,608
15 Play
3,403
See more

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).
See all 325 shouts

Videos

See more

Listeners

See more

Recent Activity

Related Journals

See more

More Information

Links
Labels

Email Newsletter

Universal Music Group Get exclusive tour, release & promotion updates on Charles Mingus from Universal Music.