Quintet Meets Cat Anderson

One of the most important figures in American jazz, Charles Mingus spent most of his career at the forefront of the avant-garde. This album, recorded in 1972 in Berlin with a superlative Cat Anderson on trumpet during a period of extensive touring, was made during a very productive time in Mingus’ life. He had spent the previous year teaching music and his autobiography “Beneath the Underdog” had just been published. In 1972 he also re-signed with Columbia Records and his music was now performed frequently by ballet companies, including Alvin Ailey who choreographed “The Mingus Dances” during a 1972 collaboration with the Robert Joffrey Ballet Company. Mingus continued playing music and touring until 1977 when he was diagnosed with a rare nerve disease, Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis.