COMMON ON MINGUS, WHAT’S NEXT

Q: Mos Def was scheduled to play Thelonious Monk in a new biopic that is now on hold. What iconic jazz artist would you be up for playing in a film?

A: That’s a great one. Ha-ha! Maybe ... let me think, Charles Mingus. Or, I would really love to — I know this isn’t jazz, per se — but (rap godfather) Gil Scott-heron would be someone I’d love to play, too.

Q: Why Mingus, whose centennial was celebrated earlier this year?

A: I work with a lot of jazz cats and they tell me stories. Because they have gotten to play with Ron Carter, Ray Brown, Betty Carter, Mulgrew Miller, and they’ve heard all types of stores about Mingus. Stories about how he was always really mean and aggressive at certain points, and how he was tough, a tough band leader.

I would love to play that role because I would like to know what drove him to doing that. He was such a talented jazz musician. And, by the same token, he was a real rugged cat who was gangsta in his own way. There would be a lot of dimension to offer to that human being as an actor portraying him.

Q: The great saxophonist Charles Mcpherson, who lives in San Diego, played in Mingus’ band for 12 years. He is a great source of information about Mingus.

A: Charles Mcpherson lives in San Diego? That would be cool to get to talk to him. You might be starting up a new film for me!

Q: You have recorded with some notable jazz artists on your albums, and Robert Glasper and Kariem Riggins are most recently both featured on your “A Beautiful Revolution, Vol. 1” album. Any chance of the three of you reuniting to do a second August Greene group trio album or tour?

A: Yeah. We went into the studio late last year and started creating some some new August Greene material. Now, we’ve just got to hone it. Each of us have been touring and I’ve been filming in London, where Robert did a gig and we played together. And I believe Kariem is drumming with Diana Krall on her current tour.

But, yes, we have to do another August Greene project. Our first album was one of my favorite creations, to be part of a group and put out a project like that. It feels so free and liberating to be part of a group, especially with such talented musicians as those. I feel we can go anywhere together when there are no limitations. That’s something I’ve had to learn within myself as an artist: to go wherever I want to go and not be afraid.