Product Description DVD .com Don McGlynn's uncompromising and soulful documentary look at the tumultuous life of musician and rebel Charles Mingus is fascinating stuff. Mingus said of himself "I am half black man, half yellow man, but I claim to be a Negro. I am Charles Mingus, the famed jazz musician--but not famed enough to make a living in America." His statement summed up the conflict that plagued this musical genius his entire life: volatility, pain, prescience, and raw rage roiled inside a complex man, composer, bass player, and trombonist who transcended labels and refused to be pigeonholed into a single musical style--and who did not achieve real fame until late in his career. The documentary is full of well-preserved footage and contains interviews with many Mingus followers like Wynton Marsalis as well as performances by icons Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Gerry Mulligan. The film traverses past the musical legend with insight and information into Mingus's personal life, his civil rights activism, and his final triumph in the music world--just as his body began to deteriorate from Lou Gehrig's disease--to his eventual death in 1979. Mingus left a legacy composed of genius, vulnerability, brilliance, anarchy, and, as one friend noted, "the entire range of human emotion that is reflected in his music." --Paula Nechak
K**T
The great Charles Mingus
I knew the man, 'grew up' at the Village Vanguard. Some friends and several acquaintances appeared to pay homage to the greatest bassplayer. I even bought a second one for the widow of Jimmy Knepper who is still a friend of mine. Wonderful purchase for anyone who truly loves jazz.
B**I
Five Stars
Great documentary of the genius and highly unheralded jazz bassist.
J**F
Mingus autobiography
Truly a mind-blowing dvd. The book is the companion piece of work. After reading the book, this dvd is a masterpiece by itself
E**R
Five Stars
Miingus at his best!
K**N
A must see jor any lover of Jazz
A poignant recounting of a man who helped define an era.
M**I
Provides insights into Mingus the man and Mingus the genius
The complaints regarding coherency and sequencing of this video as a documentary are valid, and if you are expecting a slick, professional biopic you will be disappointed.On the other hand, if you want to take a circuitous journey through Mingus' life and achievements, gleaning invaluable insights along the way, this video is not only a treasure, but a tribute to one of America's greatest composers.Do be warned that there is strong language throughout. Get past that and you will get who Mr. Mingus is in his own words, and the words of his friends, widow and ex wife, and fellow musicians. This is where the video is invaluable to those of us who are touched by his music.In my case I will admit that for decades I did not care for his music and pretty much ignored him. When I did start listening I discovered that his work is an acquired taste, and once acquired, is an addiction. That addiction is what inspired me to watch this movie repeatedly, and the path that I took getting here should warn you, the reader of this review, to take that into consideration if I get too enthusiastic in my opinions. That said, if you have an interest in jazz and how it evolved from the 1950s through to the end of the 1960s, then Charles Mingus is a key to understand that. This film, in its disjointed, almost stream of conscious way, provides clues and informed opinions, but will not spoon feed you so-called facts the way, say, a Ken Burns documentary will.There was a single unifying theme that I picked up from this video and that was Sue Mingus' continuing and abiding love for Charles, and her tireless efforts to ensure that he receive the recognition as a composer that he richly deserves. That, however, is subjective. A more objective lesson I learned from the film was just how close Mingus and his drummer, the late, great Dannie Richmond were. As a drummer that was of considerable interest, and the film placed a lot of emphasis on that relationship, inspiring me to relisten to my favorite Mingus albums with a more critical ear directed to the rhythm section. I then spent hours listening and compared and contrasted the Mingus-Richmond unity to Mingus with Max Roach on Money Jungle, something I may not have been inspired to do had I not watched this movie. The effort revealed just how connected Mingus and Richmond were musically, which, in turn, has caused me to expand my ideas on tempo, time and the subtle ways the rhythm section can add to the music.If you are a musician; specifically, a jazz musician, then you may get something from this movie in the way of inspiration or even an approach to the music itself. If you are a strong Charles Mingus fan, this is an essential biography that may be rough around the edges, but does expose Mingus as man and musical genius. Personally, I treasure my copy and watch it probably more than I should. Your views may differ.
L**E
Mingus larger than life
The material featured on this DVD focuses on chosen points of Mingus'life as a composer and spans a wide sweep of the bassist and composer. For those who relished the thought of finally catching a glimpse of those so Mingusy bass figures, this is going to be a letdown. However, if you are going for Mingus the composer, this is definitely a must-have. There is good quality footage of live performances from the 60s and 70s which provide an appropriate overview of the relentess worker Mingus was and how wide-ranging his inspirational interests were. Mingus's two wives contribute poignant comments and lead you right into the man's passion and anguish. All the musicians interviewed give a clear sense of how galvanizing Mingus's presence was and Gunther's Schuller's musical comments are downright accurate and to the point and he does a concinving job of setting the record straight on Mingus the composer. One thing to mention though, if you like your bass loud and clear, particularly Mingus's warm tone, you might need to turn up the volume. Other than that, you have got to get this simply because there hasn't been much Mingus footage out there yet.
S**E
Brilliant musician - very good composer.
This documentary unapologetically has a mission: to elevate Charles Mingus' status to "great" composer. Whether he is or is not can be argued, but when compared with the likes of Duke Ellington who was unquestionably a great composer, he might move down just a notch. A "great" bass player? Unquestionably. Herein lies my complaint: not enough focus on Mingus the bass player. That being said, this documentary makes it clear that Mingus and music are one. The most introspective moments come in the form of home movies of Mingus sitting at the piano composing. One scene in particular has him playing "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on an old upright to his daughter. Clearly this documentary was a work of love put together by those who revere his music and want to keep it alive. Make no mistake, the music is great and this documentary is a worthy effort.
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