NEW YORK (Reuter) - Charlie Mingus, one of jazz's great composers and bass players, died of a heart attack in Mexico City on Saturday, his agent said yesterday. he was 56.

At his request, his wife, Susan, took his ashes to the Himalayas and scattered them in the Ganges, his agent said. A memorial ceremony will be held at a later date in New York.

Mingus had put his stamp on American jazz since the 1950s. He was known as a great innovator and an unusual teacher and a man whose respect for the jazz tradition was as great as that of Duke Ellington, his most important influence.

His latest and best-known work, before he fell ill a year ago, was CUMBIA-JAZZ FUSION. Throughtout his illness his continued to write, and was composing music to be released in pop singer Joni Mitchell's album.

Mingus was born in Nogales, Ariz., and in the 1940s he played bass in the bands of Loius Armstrong, Alvino Rey and Lionel Hampton, with whom he made his record debut.

He started workshops for jazz musicians in the 1950s that becase internationally famous.

The talents he helped develop and train included Roland Kirk, Eric Dolphy, John Handy, Jackie McLean and Jacki Byard.

Mingus worked without scores, rehearsing his team from the piano, shouting instructions during performances and allowing a soloist to develop the composition.