Sets at 7pm & 8:30pm

Cover at the club

Please arrive 30 minutes before the show you’re attending.

Mingus Dynasty was the first band Sue Mingus organized after Charles Mingus’ death in 1979, collaborating with his own sidemen to honor his life and work. Although Mingus was an iconic and trailblazing bassist, he always said he was first and foremost a composer, and he left behind over 300 composition that deserved to be played. So a band carrying on his music became a natural, if unanticipated, mission. Today, four decades later, the powerful legacy of Mingus Music ignites bandstands as new generations of musicians express their individual voices and musical personalities, and celebrate and explore this rich and varied musical legacy. 

https://events.purdue.edu/event/the-mingus-big-band

Charles Mingus, born in 1922, was a virtuoso bassist, prolific composer, and legendary bandleader. Influenced by Duke Ellington, Mingus blended the essence of gospel music, New Orleans jazz, and New York vibrancy into a joyous jam. The Mingus Big Band, formed posthumously in 1979, embodies his legacy with a decades-long residency at iconic NYC jazz clubs.

With numerous Grammy® nominations and ten albums, the band honors Mingus’s ethos by keeping each performance fresh and spontaneous. Beyond accolades, the band nurtures emerging talents, reflecting Mingus’s impulse to constantly evolve. Whether captivating critics or dazzling audiences worldwide, The Mingus Big Band stands as a testament to the enduring brilliance of Charles Mingus.

Mingus Big Band will headline the 35th Annual Purdue Jazz Festival.

Open rehearsal/master class and Q&A FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC but requires RSVP!

LAST YEAR’S:

Mingus Big Band celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus who celebrated his Centennial year in 2022.  Founded under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus in 1991 to build off the Mingus Dynasty septet that she formed after Mingus’ death in 1979, this 14-piece band features new arrangements of Mingus compositions in a larger band format that Mingus was not always able to organize in his lifetime. The dynamic structure encourages deep explorations and ever-evolving ideations of Mingus Music and provides a platform for individual artistic expression.

Drawing from a rotation of the best established and rising musicians, the Mingus Big Band is highly sought-after by festivals and prestigious venues around the world. The band has eleven recordings to its credit, six nominated for Grammys, and one win in 2011 with Live at Jazz Standard. A new album, The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions, was released in October 2022 and nominated for a Grammy. The second volume will be released in 2024.

The band has become a New York institution for locals and tourists alike, with a weekly residency now in its fourth decade. From Thursday nights at Fez under Time Cafe, to Joe’s Pub, Iridium, and landing finally at Mingus Mondays at Jazz Standard until its pandemic closure.

special MINGUS FEST concerts at joe’s pub

2 SETS 7:30PM AND 9:30PM ON Feb 15 and Feb 16

MINGUS BIG BAND PERFORMS 4 SHOWS AT JOE’S PUB DURING THE 17TH ANNUAL CHARLES MINGUS FESTIVAL AND HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION WEEKEND

FREE LIVESTREAM AGAIN on Joe’s Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@joespubnyc

BELOW WAS THE PAST SHOW:

Any proceeds after expenses will be donated to Let My Children Hear Music (The Charles Mingus Institute) to support The Charles Mingus Festival and High School Competition and other educational projects. Donations may also be made here: https://www.paypal.me/mingusinstitute

FREE full day of High School big bands and combos playing Mingus and competing against other bands from around the county.

LIVESTREAM LINK TO COME

The 17th Annual Charles Mingus High School Competition & Festival will take place from Friday, February 14th - Sunday, February 16th, 2024, with essential Competition events taking place on Saturday and Sunday at The New School of Jazz.

All events are open to the public, daytime events are FREE.

Donations may also be made here: https://www.paypal.me/mingusinstitute

special MINGUS FEST concerts at joe’s pub

2 SETS 7:30PM AND 9:30PM ON Feb 15 and Feb 16

MINGUS BIG BAND PERFORMS 4 SHOWS AT JOE’S PUB DURING THE 17TH ANNUAL CHARLES MINGUS FESTIVAL AND HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION WEEKEND

FREE LIVESTREAM AGAIN on Joe’s Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@joespubnyc

BELOW WAS THE PAST SHOW:

Any proceeds after expenses will be donated to Let My Children Hear Music (The Charles Mingus Institute) to support The Charles Mingus Festival and High School Competition and other educational projects. Donations may also be made here: https://www.paypal.me/mingusinstitute

Willie Ruff Memorial Concert

Saturday, March 29, 2025 2:00PM

Woolsey Hall

ELLINGTON JAZZ SERIES

The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars and the Mingus Big Band, which includes Yale Jazz Ensembles Director, YSM Lecturer in Jazz, and Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, perform in celebration of the life, work, and legacy of YSM Professor Emeritus of Music Willie Ruff.