Charles Mingus

Eddie K. Jazz 219 Charles Mingus Charles Mingus is a very important and influential name in jazz; however he is left out by many historians when talking about the history of jazz. The main reason he is left out by so many historians, Mark Gridley in particular, is because of his attitude and ego. He is clearly not the most pleasant person, and he surely does not display how a real jazz musician should act, at least according to most historians. The way he acts during performances can be

Charles Mingus arrived in the jazz scene during a state of flux and his impact changed the way the jazz was performed and composed from ever since. Mingus's strict sense of jazz traditionalism and his willingness to experiment with his music led to the creation of many subgenres in jazz music. His outspoken political views were also very influential subsequent generations of musicians and composers . The music Mingus made is very tightly connected to the story of his life. After examining both his

Charles Mingus was a jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, also was the one of the most important figures in twentieth century. He was born in Nogales, Arizona in 1922 raised in Watts, California. In his life, he was continued to develop the bop and blues. “His compositions ranged wildly in mood and dynamics, from puntillistic counterpoint to massive Wagner-ian explosions and was the first jazz musician since Ellington who could compete with classical composers”. His earliest musical inspiration was

Charles Mingus in the 1950s Charles Mingus is one of the most original and influential jazz composers of the twentieth century. He created the second-largest volume of jazz work after Duke Ellington (McDonough 20), and is the first African-American composer to have his work acquired by the Library of Congress (Harrington B1). Mingus is known for his unusual style of composing and playing, which attempted to reconcile jazz improvisation with orchestration, in order for the final composition to

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus was born on 22 April 1922 in Los Angeles, California. His father joined the army in 1915 after a frustrating career in the post office. His mother died only five months after Mingus was born. The times were hard in Los Angeles, as more and more poor people migrated into the city, and the small suburb of Watts turned into a black ghetto inside of a single decade. But young Mingus was pretty much protected from all the social pressure. His family was basically

Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue is the single biggest selling jazz album ever made, selling over 5 million copies, and was my favorite to learn about. It is known to be one of albums that convert people to liking jazz styled music, even though it was created over fifty years ago. The most significant part of the album to me was that it made such an impact on the jazz community and it was only made in seven hours and all but only one of the tracks were first takes. What has stuck with me in the documentary

Daniel Pearson Mr. Kunz Jazz Band 25 May 2016 Charles Mingus: More than just a Bass Player Independent, Inspirational, and Exceptional are three words that describe Charles Mingus. A bandleader, composer, and a pianist, who created his own style of hard bop, post-bop, avant-garde, and busy rhythmic phrasing in jazz culture. He faced many struggles to obtain his success, specifically due to his race and education. Charles Mingus set the standard high for jazz culture to which stands out independently

connecting with the words that are written is what’s important and it’s not all about just playing the notes that are right in front of him. This seemed to be a big step in his music career and I’m sure it helped to open his mind up to new ideas and new ways of playing such as incorporating improvisation into his music and making the music his own. In addition, he learned what it was like to be in a big band and follow along with other musicians in the band such as Dizzy. By watching the other

Charles Mingus was one of the most influential and groundbreaking jazz musicians and composers of the 1950s and 1960s. The virtuoso bassist gained fame in the 1940s and 1950s working with such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and many others. His compositions pushed harmonic barriers, combining Western-European classical styles with African-American roots music. While examining his career is valuable from musical standpoint, his career also provides a powerful

American jazz legend Duke Ellington said, “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” When I hear this quote, all I can think about is that you have to fail to be successful the next time around. I love what Duke Ellington said because when there's a problem, all I want to do is solve it and be my best when I’m solving the problem. Every problem in life is just a way to make me a better person and a better individual. Just like how Duke Ellington said, problems are just ways to be the