Artist:Charles Mingus
Song:Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Album:Ken Burns
This is another in my series of Jazz for Beginners. The only requirement is a performance video clip and a CD appropriate for beginners. Bassist Charles Mingus is one of the all time jazz greats as a composer and a bandleader. His music is steeped in tradition but also embraces other musical styles including bebop, R&B and free jazz. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat is one of his best known compositions and today is considered to be a jazz standard. Charles Mingus Jr. was born Apr. 22, 1922 in Nogales, AZ and he grew up in the Watts area of Los Angeles. His father was a sergeant in the US Army. Mingus' parents were of mixed heritage but both were half black. His mother only listened to church music. Mingus developed an early interest in Duke Ellington. He enjoyed playing cello but switched to bass because cello is a classical instrument and in those days, blacks could not make a living in classical music. When Mingus studied with bassist Red Callender in the late 30s, cello was still his main instrument. Mingus studied bass with Herman Reinshagen of the New York Philharmonic. Bass finally became his main instrument when Buddy Collette hired him for his late 30s band. In the 40s Mingus played with clarinetist Barney Bigard, Louis Armstrong, trumpeter Russell Jacquet, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards and trumpeter Howard McGhee. While in Lionel Hampton's band, Hampton recorded several Mingus compositions. Mingus formed a trio with vibraphonist Red Norvo and guitarist Tal Farlow but had trouble getting gigs because they were mixed race. Mingus was briefly in Duke Ellington's band. He was fired for getting into a backstage fight with trombonist Juan Tizol. Mingus had a very bad temper. He also played with alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. He hated Parker's heroin addiction and all the Parker copycats. In 1952, Mingus founded Debut Records with drummer Max Roach so they could have control over their recordings and mentor young musicians. The most famous recording on Debut was the 1953 Jazz at Massey Hall from Toronto with Mingus, Roach, Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell. But for the most part, Debut was a failure. It was around this time that Mingus started the Jazz Workshop to encourage live improvisation. In the 50s Mingus recorded for Savoy, Atlantic, Jubilee and Bethlehem. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat is from the 1959 album Mingus Ah Um. It was the first of two albums for Columbia. The song is a tribute to Lester Young who was known for wearing that style of hat. Mingus frequently wrote tributes to musicians. It is one of his best known songs and today is considered to be a jazz standard. Musicians are John Handy, Shafi Hadi and Booker Ervin on tenor sax, Horace Parlan on piano and Dannie Richmond on drums. Richmond first recorded with Mingus in 1957 and remained with him for most of his career. In the 60s Mingus recorded for Candid, Atlantic and Impulse. Candid was owned by Cadence Records owner Archie Bleyer and he sold everything to Andy Williams in the mid 60s. One famous album was Money Jungle on Blue Note in 1961 with Duke Ellington on piano and Max Roach on drums. Highly recommended. In the late 60s Mingus concentrated on Jazz Workshop and he issued several live recordings. He recorded for Columbia and Atlantic in the 70s. His most notable albums were Let My Children Hear Music (1972) and Changes One (1975). This budget comp that was released as part of the PBS documentary series Ken Burns Jazz is the only comp that covers multiple labels. I also recommend you watch Ken Burns Jazz which can be streamed at Kanopy or Hoopla free with a library card. By the late 70s, Mingus was feeling the effects of motor neuron disease. So he couldn't play like he used to. But he did write songs for Joni Mitchell's 1979 album Mingus. Mingus moved to Mexico to convalesce and he died on Jan. 5, 1979 at age 56. He hadn't officially retired but he seemed headed in that direction. Here's Charles Mingus with Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, George Adams on tenor sax, Benny Bailey and Jack Walrath on trumpet, Don Pullen on piano and Dannie Richmond on drums performing Goodbye Pork Pie Hat at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival.
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