Charles Mingus 90th Birthday Celebration feat. Mingus Dynasty

The nimble and expert 7-piece Mingus Dynasty was the first band Sue Mingus organized after Charles Mingus's death in 1979. Although big bands like the Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey bands had continued to perform after their leader passed on, a similar legacy never existed for smaller ensembles. Because Mingus always said he was first and foremost a composer and left behind over 300 compositions that deserved to be played, a band carrying on his music became a natural, if unanticipated, mission. For the sake of authenticity, the first Dynasty bands were expected to include only musicians who had actually performed with Mingus-except for the bass player of course. Today, thirty years later, the rich legacy of Mingus music ignites the bandstand while new generations of musicians-many of them not even alive during the composer's lifetime-add their individual voices and continue to interpret and build on his compositions.

“Listening to a brilliant septet, one was struck by how well Mingus's ensemble arrangements are now played, far more precisely than when he was alive. His original soloists were superb but it has taken 50 loving years for section players to reel off his complex orchestral visions. And how proud Charles would have been to find two Russians - bassist Boris Kozlov and trumpeter Alexander Sipiagian -among them, a living embodiment of his multi-racial dream.” --Jack Massarik Evening Standard (London).

Ben William’s warm, woody tone, flowing groove, melodic phrasing, and storytelling approach has found favor among musicians, but also a larger audience. A bandleader, musical educator, composer, and electric and acoustic bassist, Ben was the winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition, a prestigious and important award that has propelled many a promising career. Working with New York’s finest jazz musicians even before graduating from Juilliard, Williams showcased his band, Sound Effect, at The Jazz Gallery in New York, receiving an enthusiastic New York Times review. Writer Nate Chinen stated “Williams took several long solos in his first set at The Jazz Gallery . . . and each one felt more like an entitlement than an indulgence.” Williams has recorded and performed regularly as a member of bands led by saxophonist Marcus Strickland, pianist Jacky Terrasson, and vibraphonist Stefon Harris. He’s led his own groups at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Harlem Stage, Rubin Museum of Art, Tribeca PAC in New York City, and SPAC in Saratoga Springs, NY. State of Art signals Williams’ emergence as a prominent voice in the greater jazz community.