Charles Mingus Biography

Charles Mingus was one of the most important figures of 20th century American music. He was an eminent jazz musician and his music was impregnated with emotions. Apart from being a musician, he was also a fervent civil rights activist, author, poet and bandleader. During his lifetime, he was known for his typical performances on bass and was also known for his pioneering compositions as a music composer. He was inclined to the frenzied bursts of creativity and devastating misery, which attributed to the works that he composed. They were usually based on the themes of joy, sorrow, anger and anxiety. He rose to fame playing the bebop, through which he went on to create an inimitable blend of gospel, free jazz and classical music. He realized that in order to make it big in the world of music, he would have to move to New York City. Once there, he collaborated with a number of musicians including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker to name a few. After he established himself as a musician, he formed his own publishing and recording companies to guard and promote his large repertoire of works.