Jazz bassist Charles Mingus was born on April 22, 1922, in Nogales, Arizona. Jazz critic Richard S. Ginell says that Mingus was "irascible, demanding, bullying, and probably a genius" and that "As a bassist, he knew few peers, blessed with a powerful tone and pulsating sense of rhythm, capable of elevating the instrument into the front line of a band." In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons calls Mingus a "crucial" transitional figure between modern jazz and free jazz and attributes the power of his music "to his mastery of a wide range of emotions."
In that book, Lyons recommends two of Mingus's albums:
The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop/Stormy Weather (Barnaby). Unfortunately, this album is not available on CD, and so Jim Determan recommends instead Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (Candid), which contains about half of the Barnaby album. Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus is available on CD from Amazon.com.
Passions of a Man (Atlantic). Available on CD from Amazon.com.
Mingus and his band play "Better Git It In Your Soul" here:
