By the mid-1950s, Charles Mingus had established his own publishing and recording companies to protect his ever-growing repertoire of original music. He had also founded the "Jazz Workshop", a collective that allowed young composers to see their works performed in concert and in the recording studio. From that period of creative ferment was born the album "Mingus Ah Um", an extremely personal album that once again showed Mingus' unique talent in unveiling new musical possibilities.