Beneath The Underdog: Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus, the phenomenal bass player who left us in 1979, stands tall as one of the most vital composers jazz has ever known. And Beneath the Underdog, his acclaimed memoir – a read that's by turns wild, funny, demonic, anguished, shocking, and deeply moving – surely ranks as the finest autobiography a jazz musician has ever penned.

Within its pages, Mingus recounts his God-haunted childhood in Watts during the roaring twenties and the sobering thirties; his isolated teenage years; and his unconventional education, not just among jazz greats but also alongside pimps, hookers, junkies, and hoodlums. He then takes us through his golden era in New York City, amidst legendary figures such as Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Here is Mingus unfiltered, in his own voice, guiding us from down-at-heel roadside joints to opulent mansions, from the psychiatric units of Bellevue to realms of mysticism and solitude. Yet, despite his far-flung journeys, his compass always points back to one true north: his music. This is a powerful and unforgettable story, offering a unique and intimate portrait of a towering figure in jazz history.