Headliners

The Mingus Big Band

The Mingus Big Band is one of three repertory bands that were created to celebrate the music of the composer and bassist, Charles Mingus, who died of ALS in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this critically acclaimed band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, providing audiences with a mix of ballads, blues, extended through-composed pieces, and arrangements for vocalists.  With nine recordings to its credit—six of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards—the Mingus Big Band and the other repertory bands, Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Orchestra, are keeping Mingus music alive and vibrant for future generations.

One of the most important figures in twentieth century American music, Charles Mingus was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader and composer. Born in Arizona and raised in Watts, California, he studied double bass and composition in a formal way (five years with H. Rheinshagen, principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic, and compositional techniques with the legendary Lloyd Reese) while absorbing vernacular music from the great jazz masters, first-hand. His early professional experience, in the 1940s, found him touring with bands like Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Lionel Hampton and brought him to New York where he played and recorded with the leading musicians of the 1950s—Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, Art Tatum and Duke Ellington. One of the few bassists to do so, Mingus quickly developed as a leader of musicians, and recorded over a hundred albums and wrote over three hundred scores.

Performance Schedule:

Saturday, June 20, 2009
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Stage 4: Tulpehocken Street & Ogontz Avenue