Charles Mingus wrote “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” as a tribute to Lester Young after hearing of the saxophonist’s death at age 49. The title is a reference to Young’s signature headgear. After recording the piece on **Mingus Ah Um**, it became one of Mingus’s most popular works and a hit with musicians after The Real Book brought the song into the standard repertoire. Presented here as a funk ballad, the song has been interpreted many different ways – check out Marcus Miller’s version below.