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Guy Le QuerrecCharles Mingus artist page: listen to interviews, features and music archived at NPR Music.
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Charles Mingus wrote a treasure trove of music — more than 300 works. It's one of the largest bodies of composition in 20th-century American music, second only to that of Duke Ellington. The mighty Mingus Big Band ramps it up, beginning with "Gunslinging Bird," and charges ahead from there at the Jazz Standard in New York City.
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The Mingus Big Band puts its own stamp on the music of legendary bassist Charles Mingus in concert from the Jazz Standard in New York City. Its repertoire comes from three seminal albums (Mingus Ah Um, Mingus Dynasty and Blues and Roots), all issued 50 years ago.
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Charles Mingus' monumental masterpiece "Epitaph" never saw the light of day during his lifetime. But the tempestuous jazz legend left his ambitious score to be discovered by new generations. Hear the full piece, a 2 1/2-hour affair for 31 musicians.
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By 1956, Mingus was known as an exceptional bass player and a budding composer. The ferocious burst of creative energy yet to come established him as one of the greatest minds in jazz history.
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A prolific writer of extraordinarily innovative, highly personal music, as well as an influential leader, the powerful bassist brought a fiery virtuosity to hundreds of original compositions.
()Had he lived, the great jazz bassist Charles Mingus would have been 83 years old today. We mark the occasion with musical memories.
()Reporter Tom Vitale talks with Sue Mingus, the widow of jazz great Charles Mingus, about her new memoir on the life and career of her husband. It's called Tonight at Noon.
()Sue Graham Mingus' new memoir Tonight at Noon is about her love affair with the late jazz musician and composer Charles Mingus. She also created and directs repertory ensembles that carry on the music of her late husband.
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Pianist Arturo O'Farrill, son of the Latin jazz pioneer Chico O'Farrill, now conducts the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in New York. He picks five jazz albums which he says changed his life.
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All Things Considered Reviewer Tom Moon offers his picks for the year's best albums. For Mooon 2007 was about nice chord sequences, tunes that modulate into different keys, and honest-to-goodness "bridge" sections where big sunshine comes through the clouds. He says it's been a while since we've had such interesting progressions.
()The hilarious Flight of the Conchords; A Swedish pop set with Sambassadeur; 1920s electronica: The Real Tuesday Weld; A new compilation showcasing Fats Domino; Jazz legend Charles Mingus with Eric Dolphy; Rare recordings from Stephen Stills; Solo work by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
()Guitarist Tom Verlaine, best known for his work with the New York punk band Television, talks about his own work and shares some of his favorite recordings. Verlaine's just released two CDs, his first new work in 14 years. Hear selections from Around and Songs and Other Things, plus works that have inspired Verlaine over the years, like the classic soundtrack to The Day the Earth Stood Still and Henry Mancini's "Experiment in Terror."
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Capturing seven of America's greatest jazz musicians at the height of their powers in Europe, the DVD collection Jazz Icons offers a fresh perspective on the likes of Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Charles Mingus and Dave Brubeck.
()Music Critic Michelle Mercer reviews the re-issue of Money Jungle, the 1962 recording featuring Duke Ellington, bass player Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach. On the album, these legendary players push and challenge each other and create a truly beautiful recording. It's on Blue Note Records. See http://www.bluenote.com (4:45)
()Criticized for his violent temper on and off stage, Charles Mingus nonetheless became one of the greatest bassists in jazz history. Pithecanthropus Erectus was one of the precursors of the 1960s free jazz movement, as its title track is one of the first examples of musicians freely interpreting systems of notes.
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Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead gives the lowdown on new jazz releases that are perfect for the music lover on your last-minute shopping list. He says that this year, there is something for every budget, from affordable classics to handsome box sets.
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On porches everywhere this summer, people are soaking up the sticky heat with beer in hand and music in the background. Jazz and beer are natural companions, so we asked the Washington City Paper's "Beerspotter" to pair bottles with records by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and more.
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At the record store, Tom Cole spent most of his time warding off scornful looks as he toted Mothers of Invention LPs around. One day, he decided he needed to learn about jazz. A clerk at Discount Records and Books in Washington, D.C., suggested these five records. No standards; just his absolute favorites.
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Notes from an unamplified double bass rank among the most beautiful man-made sounds; in jazz, the creator of those notes is always in the middle of the action, charting the harmonic direction of a band and plotting the rhythmic narrative as both an accompanist and a soloist. It's no small task, but here are five musicians who performed the duty with aplomb.
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NPR Music ended 2008 the way the previous 29 have for NPR and its jazz partner WBGO: with live jazz, all night long. Toast of the Nation features jazz groups welcoming the new year across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, Boston to New Orleans. Here's a preview of the night's artists.
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It's summer — time to get out of the city and head for the open road. These five great driving songs from WNYC's John Schaefer provide the right energy to help ease the transition from urban cityscapes to bucolic countrysides, while holding nostalgia for the city at bay.
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You've just embarked on a long-anticipated summer road trip. You're filled with joy and excitement — until you fill your gas tank and are overcome with horror and grief. Here's hoping you brought this road-ready jazz mix to get back into the right frame of mind.
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The change of season offers a chance to look ahead to fall and look back at summer simultaneously. For many, it's an especially productive month: In the world of jazz, September sessions have produced some special recordings.
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