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One
of the most important figures in twentieth century American music, Charles Mingus
was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader and composer. Born
on a military base in Nogales, Arizona in 1922 and raised in Watts, California,
his earliest musical influences came from the church-- choir and group singing--
and from "hearing Duke Ellington over the radio when [he] was eight years old."
He studied double bass and composition in a formal way (five years with H. Rheinshagen,
principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic, and compositional techniques with
the legendary Lloyd Reese) while absorbing vernacular music from the great jazz
masters, first-hand. His early professional experience, in the 40's, found him
touring with bands like Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Lionel Hampton.
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