Introduction by Richard Williams.

Mingus by Mingus. From the shabby roadhouses to fabulous estates, from the psychiatric ward of Bellevue to worlds of mysticism and solitude, these are the celebrated, demonic, anguished and, above all, profoundly moving memoirs of the great jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus.

First published in 1971, Beneath the Underdog is a masterpiece of memoir, a riveting insight into one of the giants of twentieth century music

"Mingus was something else. A pure genius."
Miles Davis

Mingus by Mingus. From shabby roadhouses to country estates, from the psychiatric wards of Bellevue to inner worlds of mysticism and solitude, these are the celebrated, anguished and, above all, profoundly moving memoirs of the great jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus - one of the most extraordinary autobiographies ever written.

"An outlandish, brilliant autobiography." Newsweek

"A fascinating insight into mingus' mind - unforgettable." The Times

"Rich on anecdote and emotional self-analysis ... Read this and it'll make you mad at what he went through." Uncut

"There has never been an autobiography like Beneath the Underdog, a riveting work of highly subjective reminiscences and tortured self-analysis." Richard Williams