User:Hankernst/Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland

Mingus recorded this at the Nonagon Gallery, 2nd Ave. NYC in 1959. The gallery director, Skid Shality, called it Nonagon because she believed in and showed all nine of the arts. Skid invited him and the Jazz Workshop to play. I was having a one man show of my paintings at the time in the Nonagon. What a groove to see my paintings hanging and hear "No Private Income Blues" at the same time, live! . Mingus and I met and became good friends. Four years later in 1963, on my first date with my present wife, we were sitting at a table in the Five Spot when Charles, huge and wearing a red nylon ski jacket, sat down saying, "Man, where you been?" Since she dug jazz, my date was awe-struck. Mingus got her hooked on a poor artist. We married the following year. A few months later, we went to see him at the Half Note on Hudson Street. We walked in,in the middle of a set. We sit down at a table. Mingus grabs the mike and says, "Folks, we have some distinguished guests in the house tonight. Direct from Sweden, casting for his new film which will be set here in New York is Ingemar Bergman! Give him a big hand!"and points at me. I stand up, playing along, take a big bow, and wave at all the awe-struck faces. Ming never cracks a smile.>>>>