The son of the legendary jazz bass player Charles Mingus, Eric Mingus was also a bassist. For some years he worked as a session musician and backing singer, playing on dates with artists such as Carla Bley, Bobby McFerrin, and Karen Mantler. When performing in his own right, Mingus’ work displayed a politically aware and somewhat rebellious streak reminiscent of his father, although in a different style. In many of his songs (some of which he writes himself), Mingus confronts issues that detrimentally impact Black and mixed-race Americans. At the end of the '90s, Mingus’ reputation spread overseas, owing in part to an appearance in England at the Meltdown Festival, where he performed at London’s Royal Festival Hall.