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Charles Mingus was one of the most influential and groundbreaking jazz musicians and composers of the 1950s and 1960s. The virtuoso bassist gained fame in the 1940s and 1950s working with such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and many others. His compositions pushed harmonic barriers, combining Western-European classical styles with African-American roots music. While examining his career is valuable from musical standpoint, his career also provides a powerful view of the attitudes of African-American jazz musicians (and Black America as a whole) towards the racial inequalities in America during that time. In addition to being a successful musician, Mingus was a very outspoken social commentator. Through his music, Mingus expressed the frustrations of African-Americans and supported Black Nationalism.

Racial prejudice began to affect Mingus at a very young age. Mingus grew up in the racially diverse Watts area of Los Angeles. His father......

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Approximate Word Count: 1525
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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