From the mid-1940s until his death in 1979, Charles Mingus created an unparalleled body of recorded work, most of which remains available in the 21st century. While there have been several volumes devoted to Mingus' colourful and tumultuous life, this is the first book in the English language to be devoted fully to the matter of his music. Jazz fans, as well as musicians and music students who would like a better understanding of Mingus' complex, often difficult music, can find here a complete, chronologically arranged listener's guide to all of Mingus' legitimate recordings, from the 78s he recorded in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the mid-1940s, to the legendary albums he made for Columbia, Candid, Atlantic, and his own labels. In the process of providing these in-depth examinations, Jenkins also corrects common errors and clears away old misconceptions about certain of Mingus' records. This work will serve to illuminate many long-obscured aspects of this imposing and incredibly creative man's contributions to the art of jazz. Touching upon Mingus' many innovations as a jazzman, this work explores his advancement of the art of bass playing; his assimilations of Ellington and Monk with ideas leaning toward free jazz; his experiments with ensemble dynamics, instrumentation, and extended form; and his working relationships with partners such as Jaki Byard, Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Knepper, and Dannie Richmond. This work provides a broad, informative overview of Mingus' work without veering into technical musical terminology, so that readers without an extensive background in music can understand and appreciate the analyses provided, and use them to enhance the experience of listening to the brilliant work of this legendary jazz great.