Charles Mingus - The Jazz Experiments [LP]

The Jazz Experiments of Charlie Mingus - Charles Mingus Charles Mingus was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, band leader and composer. Born on a military base in Nogales, Arizona in 1922 and raised in Watts, California, his earliest musical influences came from the church- choir and group singing- and from "hearing Duke Ellington over the radio when [he] was eight years old." His early professional experience, in the 40's, found him touring with bands like Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Lionel Hampton. Mingus' career has spanned three-decades and he collaborated with other jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herbie Hancock. Mingus' compositions retain the hot and soulful feel ofhard bop, drawing heavily from black gospel music and blues, while sometimes containing elements ofThird Stream, free jazz, and classical music. Because of his brilliant writing for midsize ensembles, and his catering to and emphasizing the strengt