▁his ▁original ▁album , ▁" C unning bird ". ▁ ▁K ne pper ▁received ▁" Best ▁T rom bon ist " ▁award ▁from ▁Down be at ▁Magazine ▁Re ader ' s ▁Pol l ▁four ▁years ▁running ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 4 ; ▁he ▁also ▁achieved ▁first ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁Down be at ▁Crit ics ' ▁Pol l ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁and ▁then ▁five ▁years ▁running ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁ ▁With ▁M ing us ▁Although ▁K ne pper ▁worked ▁with ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁notable ▁jazz ▁mus icians ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁he ▁was ▁perhaps ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁collaboration ▁and ▁storm y ▁relationship ▁with ▁bass ist ▁and ▁composer , ▁Charles ▁M ing us . ▁ ▁M ing us ' ▁temper ▁was ▁not or iously ▁bad , ▁and ▁he ▁twice ▁hit ▁K ne pper . ▁ ▁Once , ▁while ▁on stage ▁at ▁a ▁mem orial ▁concert ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁M ing us ▁reported ly ▁attempted ▁to ▁cr ush ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁his ▁pian ist , ▁T osh iko ▁A ki y oshi , ▁with ▁the ▁instrument ' s ▁keyboard ▁cover , ▁then ▁p unch ed ▁K ne pper . ▁ ▁Later , ▁M ing us ▁reported ly ▁p unch ed ▁K ne pper ▁in ▁the ▁mouth ▁while ▁the ▁two ▁men ▁were ▁working ▁together ▁at ▁M ing us ' s ▁a partment ▁on ▁a ▁score ▁for ▁Ep it aph ,