[Dixielandjazz] Mingus, Scott & Duke Ellington.

[Steve Barbone]

Ellington wanted Scott because he played flute, and Ellington wanted to add
flute coloration to his sound. Scott learned flute when he thought he would
have to become a studio musician because he wasn't getting jazz work.

Not sure of the exact timing of Mingus' departure from Ellington's Band.
Only that Scott left after his incident with Mingus. Clarinetist Jimmy
Hamilton was also with Mingus, giving Scott a hard time. Scott infuriated
Mingus with the comment about his own African Blood (below in initial post).
Mingus, big strong guy, grabbed Scott by the throat and was choking him.
Might have seriously harmed him but for Clark Terry and some others who
pulled Mingus off him.

Mingus was a bit of a loose cannon, a bear of a man, very intimidating and
very distrustful of whites unless they were part of his circle of friends.
(he married a white gal) I'll never forget a night at the Village Vanguard.
I had met him through bassists Charlie Traeger and Charlie Hayden and had
the center, front row table which he arranged for, to see his group. On a
first date with a very straight laced Society gal. I introduced her to
Mingus backstage before his first set. He was charming. She was a little
taken aback having never been in a social situation with a black man before.

Professor Irwin Cory was sharing the bill and appeared first. He had a very
funny comedy act (The world's foremost authority) and when he was done. the
audience was still excited and chattering away.

Mingus stopped the band and asked for quiet, in the middle of his first
number. Says they will not play if audience doesn't listen.  Crowd quiets
for about 2 minutes, Mingus plays, crowd gets noisy again.

Mingus is  now pissed. Stops the band, tells them to leave the stand. He
then berates the audience (standing about 2 feet from my date) Yelling,
among other things, "I told you mother****ers to be quiet or we won't play.
You think that's bull****? You want Corey again? That's fine with me. If you
don't respect what we are doing here, go ****yourselves."

Crowd did finally quiet and rest of evening was fine. BUT, the girl would
never go out with me again. :-) VBG.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

> Mike <mike at railroadstjazzwest.com> wrote

> Wasn't that around the same time Mingus left the band or rather
> was asked by Duke to leave. Or did that occur after the Tizol
> fire axe incident?
 
>> Steve Barbone wrote:
> 
>> Yes, Mike, he did work with Duke Ellington's Band. Briefly during 1953.
>> Charlie Mingus was giving him trouble. Scott told him where to go with the
>> words "Look Mingus, I'm Sicilian. My skin is darker than yours because I
>> have more African blood that you do." He and Duke worshipped each other but
>> Scott left the band because of trouble with Mingus and a few others.
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> Steve Barbone