Charles Mingus

One of the most important figures in 20th century American music, Charles Mingus was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader, activist, and prolific composer. Recording over 100 albums and writing over 300 compositions in his lifetime, Mingus left behind the largest legacy in American music after Duke Ellington.

His entire works have been acquired by the Library of Congress - a first for jazz, and a first for a Black composer. He was the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Smithsonian Institute, and the Guggenheim Foundation, and his music is as sharply innovative and vibrantly modern today as it was at the time of its inception.

The New Yorker wrote: "For sheer melodic and rhythmic and structural originality, his compositions may equal anything written in Western music in the twentieth century.”

Following his death in 1979 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), the Library of Congress acquired Mingus’ entire catalog of work - including original scores, recordings, and personal effects. An NEA grant enabled the cataloging of all his compositions. Microfilm copies were donated to the New York Public Library and Library of Congress. He has also been honored with a US Postage stamp.

The growing critical and popular success of the Mingus repertory bands managed by his estate Jazz Workshop, Inc. (Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, Mingus Orchestra) is a testament to the power of Mingus compositions.

The availability of his music through published arrangements, educational books, school courses, and workshops, coupled with the hugely successful annual Charles Mingus High School Competition, has expanded and extended the reach of his legacy. Students, musicians, scholars, and fans are exploring and embracing Mingus as never before.