Final answer:
Charles Mingus and Max Roach addressed the music industry's professional hierarchy by forming their own record label, ensuring better control and conditions for jazz musicians. The Newport Jazz Festival was significant in advancing jazz as an art form and providing a prominent platform for musicians to reach wider audiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Charles Mingus and Max Roach were pivotal figures in jazz who made efforts to tackle the professional hierarchy in the music industry by asserting greater control over their work. They were part of a larger movement of jazz musicians who sought to combat various exploitative practices common in the cultural industry, including unfair contracts and insufficient compensation. One approach they took was forming their own record labels, such as Debut Records, allowing them to manage the production, distribution, and promotion of their music. With these steps, they aimed to improve the financial and creative conditions for jazz musicians.
The Newport Jazz Festival was significant because it was one of the first jazz festivals in the United States and helped to elevate jazz as a serious art form worthy of mainstream attention and respect. The festival was a platform for musicians to perform for larger and more diverse audiences, which included both jazz aficionados and newcomers to the genre. It played a crucial role in breaking down barriers between musicians of different racial and cultural backgrounds and showcased the talents of many legendary figures in jazz history.