Is it Happening Here?
In the summer of 1965 Charles Mingus wrote new music to be performed and premiered at the Monterey Jazz Festival. After having so much success the year prior at the same exact festival, he was hopeful that he could not only perform great music, but that he could also put a stamp on this performance in only a way that he could. Mingus was openly political during his shows. Anyone lucky enough to see the Mingus Big Band perform live today will get a sense and vibe of that signature political power, and whether you agree with it or not, you have to agree with the music.
The premiere of Mingus’ song “Don’t Let it Happen Here” was at this very festival in 1965 which is only a few years before what most people call the “conclusion” of the civil rights era. The premiere of this music came at such a pivotal time, that most would imagine it had a significant impact on listeners. Jazz was mighty in the 60’s and black voices were stronger than ever, but even with music like “Don’t Let it Happen Here” premiering during this time, social justice is still an issue almost fifty years later.
The words spoken in this piece are very intriguing. There is no rhyme or rhythm to the vocals, but it there is a plea for people to help and care for one another despite obvious differences. “One day they came and they took me, and I could say nothing because I was as guilty as they were of genocide, destroying the rights of any man to live.” This line ends the vocals of the piece and truly sheds light on the already apparent inspiration behind the piece. Mingus was living in a world where people never cared about problems of their fellow man only because they were not suffering together. Todd Jenkins has written extensively on Mingus and premieres of his music in his book I Know What I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus. I am excited to find out how the public reacted to this piece compared to other Mingus recordings, but reluctant to find that a man’s plea for understanding and sympathy have been unmet for decades.
