(Jazz Publications). Epitaph , written for a 31-piece ensemble, was the masterwork of composer/bassist Charles Mingus. The extended suite is comprised of multiple movements reflecting a wealth of compositional styles (not just jazz) that demonstrate Mingus’ invaluable contribution to 20th-century American music. Since its last performance 15 years ago, additional movements have been discovered that were originally intended to be a part of the work. This unique 500-page score includes these missing movements along with historical and program notes. Prepared and edited under the guidance of Gunther Schuller and Sue Mingus, it provides a monumental resource for study and analysis. The first jazz composition of such magnitude ever to be published, it is presented in this edition as he left it: a summary work, a portrait for all time of his life in music.
I wrote it for my tombstone. - Charles Mingus