mingus3

UD: What would Charles think about the Lifetime Achievement award he was given at the Grammys last month? Would he be surprised?
SM: No, he knew who he was. It's just that the world didn't know.
UD: What might Mingus not like about what you are doing?
SM: I can't really think of anything (laughing) 'she says with all due modesty'. No, I really can't. I think he would be uniformly delighted with what is happening to his music. But I always feel ridiculous giving these interviews and talking about his music. Because when he was alive, I was not involved in his music in this fashion. I sat in the audience and loved the music, but I was certainly not a spokesperson in any way. So every now and then I think: that's an odd position to be in. I don't know what Charles would think about that, but I think he would understand it is part of the package.

UD: What keeps you doing this work?
SM: It's fun. It's very inspiring, I learn a lot from the musicians. It is a cauldron of energy and excitement. I have to say that I have never tired of Charles' music. The music is thrilling, it is different every time. It is always a surprise.
UD: Other than musical writings, what have you found in the Mingus archives that were of interest?
SM: Well, Charles wrote all the time, he wrote letters to critics, he wrote letters to newspapers about the injustices of the world... Charles could have been many other things if he hadn't been a musician. He could have been a writer, he might have been a preacher. He probably could have been a designer or a painter...
UD: A politician.
SM: He already was a politician. He was a soapbox politician and the bandstand was his soapbox.
UD: It seems that what you enjoyed about him was that boisterousness, that tenacity.
SM: It was his courage. He was a man who spoke up and did what he believed in. He never compromised an inch in his entire career. And I do admire that. He was my kind of guy.
UD: Thank you Sue.

- Roz Calvert

© Copyright 1997 Urban Desires

UD: What would Charles think about the Lifetime Achievement award he was given at the Grammys last month? Would he be surprised? SM: No, he knew who he was. It's just that the world didn't know. UD: What might Mingus not like about what you are doing? SM: I can't really think of anything (laughing) 'she says with all due modesty'. No, I really can't. I think he would be uniformly delighted with what is happening to his music. But I always feel ridiculous giving these interviews and talking about his music. Because when he was alive, I was not involved in his music in this fashion. I sat in the audience and loved the music, but I was certainly not a spokesperson in any way. So every now and then I think: that's an odd position to be in. I don't know what Charles would think about that, but I think he would understand it is part of the package.

UD: What keeps you doing this work? SM: It's fun. It's very inspiring, I learn a lot from the musicians. It is a cauldron of energy and excitement. I have to say that I have never tired of Charles' music. The music is thrilling, it is different every time. It is always a surprise. UD: Other than musical writings, what have you found in the Mingus archives that were of interest? SM: Well, Charles wrote all the time, he wrote letters to critics, he wrote letters to newspapers about the injustices of the world... Charles could have been many other things if he hadn't been a musician. He could have been a writer, he might have been a preacher. He probably could have been a designer or a painter... UD: A politician. SM: He already was a politician. He was a soapbox politician and the bandstand was his soapbox. UD: It seems that what you enjoyed about him was that boisterousness, that tenacity. SM: It was his courage. He was a man who spoke up and did what he believed in. He never compromised an inch in his entire career. And I do admire that. He was my kind of guy. UD: Thank you Sue. - Roz Calvert