Charlie Mingus Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Charles Mingus (1922-1979, who was also known as Charlie Mingus, was known worldwide as a jazz bassist, composer and bandleader as well as an occasional pianist. Mingus, who toured with Louis Armstrong in 1943 and played with Lionel Hampton's band in the late 1940s, was also briefly a member of Duke Ellington's band and played live dates with Charlie Parker before he gained recognition as a bandleader in his own right. Over the  years, Mingus recruited dozens of talented and little-known artists, many of whom went on to successful careers of their own. On the tour referenced in this Rider, Mingus brought together drummer Dannie Richmond (who had been with Mingus since 1964), pianist Don Pullen, saxophonist George Adams and saxophonist and clarientist Hamiet Bluiett (Richmond, Pullen and Adams were among the group that recorded Changes One and Changes Two, two of Mingus' well-received albums). Mingus, who recorded a number of albums as a bandleader, co-founded Debut Records with Max Roach in 1952 to maintain control over his recording career. Known for his fearsome temperment (his nickname was "The Angry Man of Jazz") and his activism against racism, Mingus' compositions include Epitaph, one of the longest jazz pieces ever written (over 4,000 measures).