Remembering Charles Mingus
Before he was a legendary jazz bassist and composer, Charles Mingus was known for some different qualities. William “Buddy” Collette, who at the age of 12 recruited then 11-year-old Mingus for a jazz ensemble, recalled his first encounter with Mingus for the lively crowd at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. “I hope I can get this right – it’s been a long time,” Collette, now 87, joked, before remembering how a friend described young Mingus: “You know Charles Mingus. He plays the cello and he’s bow-legged.” Collette joined journalist Emory Holmes, …
