For its season finale, The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra co-directed by Clarence Acox and Michael Brockman, played music by Charles Mingus (1922-1979). Charles Mingus was one of the most significant American Composers of the Twentieth Century.
Born in Nogales, New Mexico and raised in Watts, he rose to prominence in New York during the 1940s Bop Era playing with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others. As a leader himself from the 50s on, his groups toured around the world playing his original compositions exclusively.
Composing over 300 scores, Charles Mingus conceived powerful, emotional instrumental music that was rife with social commentary on racial injustice, love, war and his fellow musicians. An uncompromising musician, his music is still revered today, thirty-five years after his passing. The music on this concert includes music he orchestrated himself as well as arrangements done by others including Bob Hammer who worked directly with Mingus and today resides in Bothell. Featured on this concert are compositions recorded by Mingus on the classic albums Mingus Ah Um (1959), and Let My Children Hear Music (1972).
Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by Jim Wilke exclusively for 88.5 KPLU and kplu.org. The program airs Sundays at 2 PM Pacific and streams at kplu.org. Archived programs can be found at jazznw.org.
A series of programs recorded in July at Jazz Port Townsend will begin August 16 on Jazz Northwest with an all-star group including Terell Stafford, Steve Wilson, Eric Reed, Dan Balmer, Chuck Deardorf and Matt Wilson playing in Port Townsend.
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