Black identity in the 1950s jazz compositions of charles mingus

This thesis profiles three aesthetic approaches of jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus through an exploration of his most central and illuminating 1950s compositions. More specifically, it unpacks the role of certain musical elements as they relate to each compositional identity, and thus, to the deeper contextual influences behind each work. Mingus’s compositional approaches reflect the social, political, and economic environment faced by most all mid-twentieth century African-American jazz musicians; subsequently, his aesthetic transitions are a microcosm of what occurred in the larger body of African-American jazz.