CHARLES MINGUS
Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader. His compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop, drawing heavily from black gospel music and blues, while sometimes containing elements of Third Stream, free jazz, and classical music. He once cited Duke Ellington and church as his main influences. Gunther Schuller has suggested that Mingus should be ranked among the most important American composers, jazz or otherwise. (More from Wikipedia)
In the early years, most women only sang; those who also played a musical instrument tended to be folksingers, like Joan Baez and Judy Collins. Later on, both Baez and Collins moved more toward rock, and they have each recorded numerous amazing albums. Joni Mitchell, who wrote Judy Collins’ early hit song “Both Sides Now”, stretched herself even further; one remarkable album that I own is her 1979 album, Mingus that was recorded with jazz legend Charles Mingus shortly before his death.
(October 2013)
