Scope and Content Note
Materials in the Charles Mingus Collection date from 1925 to 2015. The Music is divided into two subseries. The Music by Charles Mingus subseries includes holographs, photocopies, and copyist manuscripts of his original compositions and arrangements of music by others. Numbers are assigned to some pieces, including his adaptations of works by others, and are indicated by a "Reference no." label when applicable. For a complete list of Mingus's tunes by reference number, see Appendix A. Mingus owned the music in the subseries Music by Others and may have used it for study or his own arrangements.
Mingus founded or co-founded three music business ventures: Charles Mingus Enterprises, Inc., Debut Records, and Jazz Workshop. Each has its own subseries within the Business Papers series. The highlight of this series is the extensive correspondence that includes the names of prominent jazz figures such as musicians Sam Most, Max Roach, and Dannie Richmond; record producers Teo Macero and Clive Davis; and poet Langston Hughes. Within each subseries are also records of income and expenses, cash disbursements, and receipts.
The Personal Papers consist of notes in Mingus's hand and letters, greeting cards, and personal notes from family members, including his sister Grace Mingus, second wife Celia Mingus, and widow Sue Mingus. Financial, legal, and medical papers, as well as maps, receipts, and brochures from his extensive travels make up the rest of the series. There are also writings by others in this series that were inspired by Mingus’s music or inscribed to him. The realia include Mingus's tarot cards, a lock of hair from son Eric's first haircut, and a book titled Cultivation of Personal Magnetism in Seven Progressive Steps with the mid-section carved out to house Mingus's firearm.
Most of the Project Files consist of Mingus’s annotated drafts of his autobiography, Beneath the Underdog. The scripts and production summaries, organized by producer name, are from films in which Mingus appeared, composed the score, or contributed music. Typescript liner notes, correspondence regarding various projects, and other short writings are also included.
The Clippings series primarily contains articles and reviews relating to his albums, autobiography, and the Mingus Dynasty, the New York-based jazz orchestra established after his death as a tribute to him and his contributions in music. Articles about his widow are also included in this series. Some clippings have been photocopied due to the original items' deteriorating physical condition. There are also full issues of magazines owned by Mingus or those that contain articles about him.
The Publicity and Programs are divided into two file groups. The first consists of Charles Mingus’s and Debut Records musicians’ biographies, concert announcements, posters, and album advertisements. The programs are from Mingus’s performances or performances of his music by others, primarily from the 1970s.
The Iconography series contains photographs, negatives, album cover art, and one piece of artwork. The photographs and negatives are images of Mingus and his family, as well as photographs of fellow musicians such as Eric Dolphy, Dannie Richmond, Max Roach, Oscar Pettiford, and Miles Davis. The Awards contain plaques and certificates for several of Mingus's wins and nominations, notably his 1973 Grammy Award nomination for Let My Children Hear Music.