born April 22, 1922, Nogales, Ariz., U.S.
died Jan. 5, 1979, Cuernavaca, Mex.
U.S.
Mingus played in the groups of Lionel Hampton , Duke Ellington , and Red Norvo, ultimately working with many of the innovators of {{link=bebop">bebop . In 1953 he organized the Jazz Workshop ensemble, which played a spirited combination of loosely arranged passages and improvisation, incorporating elements of the blues and free jazz. As a pioneering bandleader and virtuoso bassist, Mingus remained an uncompromising and innovative force in jazz for the rest of his career. He was one of the most important and colourful figures in modern jazz