Saturday Morning Records: #4 — Blues & Roots by Charlie Mingus

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As with so much of the very greatest music by the truly greatest musicians, I have no idea when I first heard Charles Mingus — but I know my world was blown apart by just how good he was within moments of first hearing him. Whenever that was. Most likely I knew the name first — and if pushed, I’m going to say that it was listening to Max Roach that made me find Mingus. But, yeah, look, he’s simply one of the towering greats when it comes to jazz, when it comes to bass player, when it comes to band leading, when it comes to 20th Century composers. And he did all of that, as well as being an occasionally interested poet and singer, and a brilliant piano player too.