Primary Instrument: Band/ensemble/orchestra
The Mingus Big Band celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday MBBnights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly residencies in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays” at Jazz Standard where it alternates with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty.
The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has ten recordings to its credit, seven of which have been nominated for Grammys.
“The Mingus Big Band - musician for musician - is one of the most spirited and technically gifted bands in the country.” -Seattle Examiner, 2009
“The weekly Monday Mingus show at the Jazz Standard is New York’s most transcendent weekly residency. It’s probably the best in the entire world.” -Lucid Culture, 2009
“A better band than ever today…plenty of meaty, memorable solos… but the real star is this world-class band, swinging through Mingus' music with an ease that masks the pieces' difficulty.” -Tony Scherman in People
“The most inspired, exciting ensemble jazz performance I've attended since the New York night I heard a somewhat different Mingus Big Band in the Fez....” -Philip Elwood The San Francisco Examiner
“The Mingus Big Band is a wonder and an anomaly...the Mingus Band has taken a musical legacy and transformed it into a creative force that generates a contemporary originality and vitality all its own. They are an important part of the current jazz scene and a constant reminder that jazz--big band jazz, at that--is not merely entertainment but a powerful art form and means of expression.” -All About Jazz
