Charles Mingus is one of the giants of jazz and everyone has their own opinion about his oeuvre.
Certainly, Mingus Ah Um, Blues and Roots, Pithecanthropus Erectus, and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus are all part of the Mingus canon.
Personally, I think Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is his masterpiece and stands alongside some of the great works of jazz.
Mingus Album
Let All My Children Hear Music (circa 1973)
Find it and please listen to it.
John High
Music Educator
Does Epitaph count?
Epitaph is certainly an incredible work, but when I go to put on a Mingus album, the one I most often reach for is Mingus Ah Um. Cliche, perhaps, but it's a classic for a reason, released in that watershed year of 1959.
The Mingus Plays Piano record is another favorite of mine...even if he isn't a virtuoso pianist, the uniqueness that is Mingus still comes through on the piano.