We taped my weekly 1971 television show, The Jazz Set, at the New Jersey Television studios in Trenton. I often met up with the guests at Penn station, which gave us an opportunity to talk, more or less uninterrupted, before for Mingus led the way, heading straight for the dining car. He was in an excellent mood and turned out to be delightful company, entertaining me with stories and observations. When all the courses had been consumed, he signaled the waiter (is that what they call them?) moved his hand over the table in a circular motion, and said: "Let's do that again."
I didn't go along for the gastronomic encore, but Mingus quickly cleared the table, as it were. When we got to the studio, the wife of one of the technicians had baked an enormous cake with "Welcome, Mingus" written on it. We all had some, but Mingus enjoyed at least half of it. So, he was well fed when the show kicked off. Here is a segment, Peggy's Blue Skylight. I'll try to post the interview as soon as I get it transferred.
November 9, 2011
I have just learned that Mingus' grandson, Kevin Ellington Mingus, is in the early stages of producing a documentary on his grandfather. The project needs funding and, through KickStarter, you can contribute as little as $10. Here's a video with more details:
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