Which jazz bassist led the 1959 album Mingus Ah Um?

Charles Mingus led the 1959 album Mingus Ah Um.

Mingus Ah Um was recorded for Columbia Records in 1959 and became one of Charles Mingus’s most celebrated albums. Mingus was the bassist, composer, and bandleader, and the session featured musicians including John Handy, Booker Ervin, Shafi Hadi, Horace Parlan, and Dannie Richmond.

The album combines blues, gospel, swing, and modern-jazz elements. Its pieces include “Better Git It in Your Soul,” “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” “Boogie Stop Shuffle,” and “Fables of Faubus.” Mingus used the ensemble to create music that could sound tightly arranged while retaining the energy of improvisation.

The title’s “Ah Um” is commonly understood as a playful expression associated with Mingus’s vocalized, conversational musical personality. The album is sometimes confused with later Mingus recordings, but Mingus Ah Um is specifically his major 1959 Columbia statement.