IBDb = Internet Broadway Database18 of 22
In Rio de Janeiro, Charles Mingus' last live presentation took place at the Teatro João Caetano, on May 23rd, 1977. The band was formed by Charles Mingus (bass) - Danny Richmond (drums) - Ricky Ford (st) - Jack Walrath (trumpet) - Robert Neloms (piano).
Mingus was one of the last great composers in jazz history, a bold arranger and an innovative bassist. His original, provocative music, rich with melodic, harmonic and rhythmic surprises and wonders, marked the period subsequent to Bebop. Influenced by Duke Ellington, by the blues and black religious music, he conveyed emotions of an unusual expressive power, always turning to jazz roots. The constant tempo changes, the flexibility of rhythmic passages, his exacerbated techniques have been widely copied by subsequent generations of musicians. His compositions differ from the usual standards of the era, with characteristic shapes, styles, humor, even sarcasm and an indescribable ferocity, albeit interspersed with other soloists' improvisations.
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