Accessibility links
Charles Mingus Charles Mingus artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music

Charles Mingus
'Mingus: Jazz In Detroit' Catches A Giant At A Moment Full Of Possibility

Charles Mingus poses next to a poster for his six nights of performances at the Strata Concert Gallery in Detroit in 1973. A recording of one of those nights has just been released. Sue Mingus/Courtesy of BBE Music hide caption

toggle caption
Sue Mingus/Courtesy of BBE Music

Review

Music

'Mingus: Jazz In Detroit' Catches A Giant At A Moment Full Of Possibility

A newly released recording of a 1973 concert opens a window into the volatile bassist's career at a moment of transition, but also a compelling and largely unknown chapter in Detroit jazz history.

Muldrow Meets Mingus

Jason Moran (left) and Georgia Anne Muldrow celebrate Charles Mingus during a program at the Kennedy Center. Jati Lindsay/Courtesy of the Kennedy Center hide caption

toggle caption
Jati Lindsay/Courtesy of the Kennedy Center

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Muldrow Meets Mingus

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Vocalist and producer Georgia Anne Muldrow's interpretive tribute to Charles Mingus aligns with the Afrocentric current that flows through underground hip-hop, avant-R&B and psychedelic soul.

Muldrow Meets Mingus

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/521222975/521223124" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Charles Mingus: 'Fables of Bass,' Part 2

Charles Mingus, Paris 1964. Guy Le Querrec/Courtesy of Charles Mingus Archives hide caption

toggle caption
Guy Le Querrec/Courtesy of Charles Mingus Archives

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Charles Mingus: 'Fables of Bass,' Part 2

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.

Charles Mingus: 'Fables of Bass,' Part 2

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/90049515/90030369" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Charles Mingus: 'Fables of Bass,' Part 1

Charles Mingus venerated Duke Ellington — despite being the only musician ever officially fired from Ellington's band. Courtesy of Charles Mingus Archives hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of Charles Mingus Archives

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Charles Mingus: 'Fables of Bass,' Part 1

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.

Charles Mingus: 'Fables of Bass,' Part 1

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/89852381/89837214" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Cumbia: The Musical Backbone Of Latin America

Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
courtesy of the artist

Alt.Latino

Cumbia: The Musical Backbone Of Latin America

Alt.Latino journeys from the tip of South America to the bodegas of New York City — all the while dancing to the beat of cumbia, the lingua franca of Latin music.

Cumbia: The Musical Backbone Of Latin America

Listen · 46:02
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/227834004/228861627" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Mingus Orchestra On JazzSet

Gunther Schuller conducts the Mingus Orchestra at St. Bartholomew's Church. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of the artist

JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater

The Mingus Orchestra On JazzSet

WBGO

Get ready for ecstatic sounds, as the French horn, bass clarinet, bassoon, guitar and harp dig the deep, dark, blues-drenched, jubilant Mingus groove from St. Bart's Church in New York City.

The Mingus Orchestra On JazzSet

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/146646744/169601843" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
In Memoriam: Jazz Elegies

Wynton Marsalis leads a group of musicians through upper Manhattan's Riverside Church for the New Orleans-style funeral of vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 2002. Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images

A Blog Supreme

In Memoriam: Jazz Elegies

WFIU

Around 1945, jazz's traditional funeral rites manifested in a more modern form of tribute. Now, some of the music's most powerful tunes are written in memory of late colleagues. Hear five examples.

The First Five: One Man's Introduction To Jazz

A collage of records. Christopher Toothman/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Christopher Toothman/NPR

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

The First Five: One Man's Introduction To Jazz

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.

Hear Tom Cole's Interview With Michel Martin

Listen · 12:47
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/103328551/103646627" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Toast Of The Nation

Mingus Big Band: A Rousing, Raucous Concert

WBGO

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.

Mingus Big Band in Concert at the Jazz Standard 12/31/08

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/98914779/99009457" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Concerts

Mingus' Magnum Opus: 'Epitaph' In Concert

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.

Mingus' Magnum Opus: 'Epitaph' In Concert

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/92884124/92436892" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music News

Jazz Greats Return to Glory on DVD

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.

Jazz Greats Return to Glory on DVD

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/14222410/14316885" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Music Lists

Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead: Best of 2004

Fresh Air

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.

Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead: Best of 2004

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4242675/4242676" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
A Charles Mingus Anecdote That Has Nothing To Do With Breasts

Bassist Charles Mingus leads a band at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival, including Lonnie Hillyer (trumpet) and Charles McPherson (alto sax, obscured). Ray Avery/CTSIMAGES hide caption

toggle caption
Ray Avery/CTSIMAGES

A Blog Supreme

A Charles Mingus Anecdote That Has Nothing To Do With Breasts

In 1961, the great bassist and composer started a long residency at a club in Queens, N.Y., called Copa City. It was a period of bold artistic statements from Mingus. Now, a new box set of live recordings immortalizes that moment in time, and why it can be called a "titty."

Announcement

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/163508490/163260223" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Five Jazz Songs Of The Freedom Struggle

Gary Bartz performs at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. The saxophonist is often cited as a messenger of black empowerment in music. David Redfern/Redferns hide caption

toggle caption
David Redfern/Redferns

A Blog Supreme

Five Jazz Songs Of The Freedom Struggle

For the annual celebration of Juneteenth, today's jazz luminaries — musicians such as Jason Moran, Christian McBride, Orrin Evans, Jeremy Pelt and Bobby Watson — reflect on recordings about the ongoing process of African-American emancipation.

Review

Basic Jazz Record Library

Hazel Scott: 'Relaxed Piano Moods'

Pianist Hazel Scott was one of the few artists who successfully integrated jazz and classical music. For 1955's Relaxed Piano Sounds, Scott teamed with the two men who owned Debut Records — drummer Max Roach and bassist Charles Mingus — for one of the best piano trios ever recorded.

Hazel Scott: 'Relaxed Piano Moods'

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4181950/151217875" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Review

Basic Jazz Record Library

Red Norvo: 'The Savoy Sessions'

Known as "Mr. Swing," Red Norvo became a jazz star while playing an unconventional instrument –- the jazz xylophone. He later switched to vibraphone, and recorded with such legends as Benny Goodman and Dizzy Gillespie. On The Savoy Sessions, Norvo teams with bassist Charles Mingus and guitarist Tal Farlow.

Red Norvo: 'The Savoy Sessions'

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4192646/150879141" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Review

Basic Jazz Record Library

Charles Mingus: 'Pithecanthropus Erectus'

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.

Charles Mingus: 'Pithecanthropus Erectus'

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4540134/150877087" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Browse archive or search npr.org