Bassist to Bandleader

Synopsis

Donald Macleod is joined by biographer Brian Priestley to look at how Charles Mingus progressed from being a leading double bass player, working with great names of 20th century jazz such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Art Tatum, to realising his ambitions as a composer, and how, from the beginning, he acquired a reputation for being 'bullish'.

Better Git It In Yo' Soul
John Handy (alto saxophone)
Booker Ervin
Shafi Hadi (tenor saxophone)
Jimmy Knepper (trombone)
Horace Parlan (piano)
Charles Mingus (double bass)
Dannie Richmond (drums)
Sony SMM 517120 2 Tr 1

Half-Mast Inhibition
Charles Mingus (bass) and orchestra
Polygram/EmArcy Records 826 496-2 Tr 8

Mingus Fingers
Lionel Hampton and his orchestra
MCA GRP 16252 Tr 18

Inspiration - Parts 1 and 2
Charlie Mingus and his 22 piece Bebop Band
Art Pepper (alto saxophone)
Buddy Childers (trumpet)
Proper P1406 Tr 4

Eclipse
Charles Mingus Octet with Janet Thurlow (vocal)
Proper P1408 Tr 18

Getting Together
John LaPorta (clarinet)
Teo Macero (tenor saxophone)
George Barrow (baritone saxophone)
Mal Waldron (piano)
Charlie Mingus (double bass)
Rudy Nichols (drums)
LP: LTZ-C15058 Tr 12

Pithecanthropus Erectus
Charles Mingus (double bass)
Jackie McLean (alto saxophone)
JR Monterose (tenor saxophone)
Mal Waldron (piano)
Willie Jones (drums)
Atlantic 7814562 Tr 1.

Broadcasts

1. Mon 29 Sep 2008
   12:00
   BBC Radio 3
2. Mon 29 Sep 2008
   22:00
   BBC Radio 3