Sue Mingus
Sue Mingus | |
---|---|
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Manager, music publisher |
Website | mingusmingusmingus |
Sue Graham Mingus is the widow of jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus.[1] In 2002, Pantheon (Random House) released Sue Mingus' memoir of her life with Mingus, entitled Tonight at Noon: a Love Story. The book was a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year and a New York Times Notable Book.[2][3]
After Charles Mingus' death from ALS in 1979, Sue Mingus created and managed several repertory bands to perform his music, beginning with the Mingus Dynasty, now a septet that tours internationally and at weekly residency at Jazz Standard in New York City. The Dynasty alternates with the popular and critically acclaimed Mingus Big Band, and the more recent Mingus Orchestra featuring experimental instrumentation.[4] She produced several albums with these bands, which received seven Grammy nominations. In 2011 the album 'Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard' won a Grammy as the “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album."
In 2006 and 2007, she produced two legacy recordings, Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy Cornell 1964 (Blue Note) and re-released Music Written For Monterey 1965. Not Heard... Played In Its Entirety At UCLA (Sue Mingus Music).
In 1989, Sue Mingus produced Mingus’ masterwork Epitaph for 31 musicians in its premiere at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and also again in 2007, where it toured four cities and was broadcast by National Public Radio.[5] The complete score was also published the following year.
Through Mingus' publishing company Jazz Workshop, Inc., Sue Mingus has published educational books, Charles Mingus: More than a Fake Book, Charles Mingus: More than a Play Along, dozens of Mingus Big Band charts, guitar and piano charts and new series for students called Simply Mingus, all distributed by Hal Leonard Publishers.
In 2009, through the nonprofit created to promote Mingus' music, Let My Children Hear Music, she presented the First Annual Charles Mingus High School Competition [6] at Manhattan School of Music with Justin DiCioccio.[7][8]
References
- ^ Official bio http://mingusmingusmingus.com/SueMingus/
- ^ NYT Notable Book http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/08/books/notable-books.html?pagewanted=all
- ^ All About Jazz "Sue Mingus: 'First and Foremost a Composer'" http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=18228
- ^ Press review http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/05/the_music_of_mingus_lives_on_i.html
- ^ NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92884124
- ^ Official announcement http://mingusmingusmingus.com/JazzEducation/PostPressRelease2.pdf
- ^ NY Press article on High School Competition http://www.nypress.com/article-19427-thirty-years-on-the-music-remains-strong.html
- ^ NY1 TV segment on Competition http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/94387/bands-battle-it-out-on-manhattan-stage/Default.aspx NY1