TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Few figures in jazz history embody both power and poetry quite like Charles Mingus.
A master bassist, pianist, bandleader, and composer, Mingus was larger than life—fiery, uncompromising, and deeply committed to his art. His music drew from gospel, blues, bebop, and classical traditions, all fused into a sound unmistakably his own.
Mingus’s ensembles were training grounds for future stars, and his compositions—like Goodbye Pork Pie Hat or Haitian Fight Song—still resonate today for their emotional depth and fearless originality. He demanded everything from his musicians but gave just as much back, channeling raw intensity into timeless works.
Charles Mingus reminded the world that jazz is a vital expression of struggle, joy, and truth.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.