Bassist/composer Charles Mingus was one of Jazz music's icons and an amazing larger than life musician and character. His working bands were called "The Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop" and the personnel changed sometimes very quickly. The term "Jazz Workshop" gave Mingus carte blanche to experiment on the bandstand sometimes stopping in mid tune to berate a soloist or change a part. If a member of the audience complained Mingus would say, "read the sign outside man.......it says Jazz Workshop....dig it?" Mingus had some great bands and some that approached greatness and the band on tonight's Feature was the core of one of his greatest bands. This was part of a concert from January 1959 recorded at New York's Nonagon Art Gallery and featured the recording debuts of two newcomers to the New York scene. Alto saxophonist John Handy from the Bay Area and tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin, who was working as a dishwasher at the Automat and sitting-in around town. Handy and Ervin (both born in Texas) blended together so well and although Mingus' regular pianist was called away the day before the gig for a family emergency, San Franciscan, Richard Wyands, on the recommendation of Handy substituted very well. Dannie Richmond on drums and Mingus on bass think as one and swing and drive the piano and the horns. 45 minutes of this concert have been preserved for us to enjoy. This was the first milestone and the core band that brought Mingus out of the Jazz underground and into the forefront of recognition and acceptance as one of the most formidable musical forces in Jazz and creative music.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related