The Mingus Dynasty Band

The Mingus Dynasty Band

The Mingus Dynasty Band is a revolving group of all-star New York-based musicians. It was formed by Charles Mingus’ widow, Sue Mingus, in 1979 to immortalize Charles’ tremendous repertoire and to affirm his place in jazz history as a bassist, composer, arranger, and band-leader. Charles Mingus is considered to be the second-most important jazz composer/arranger in history after Duke Ellington.

The quintet performing Mingus’ music tonight includes Craig Handy (saxophone), Conrad Herwig (trombone), Jim Ridl (piano), Boris Koslov (bass and music director), and Donald Edwards (drums). All have been involved for over a decade with the three touring ensembles organized by Sue Mingus: the Mingus Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band and The Mingus Dynasty Band. They are all also actively involved with the non-profit educational institution Let My Children Hear Music, which Sue Mingus created to present clinics that engage younger audiences in Charles Mingus’ enduring legacy. Sue Mingus passed away in September of 2022 at the age of 92. In July 2022, she received the honor of becoming a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, the nation’s most prestigious jazz award.

Mingus’ music is compelling because his compositions are strong – they groove and engage the audience and the musicians physically and emotionally. The music is often blues-based, it speaks to listeners’ impulsive and intuitive natures, the joy and energy it exudes needs no intellectual analysis. Nonetheless, Mingus’ music is far from superficial: it contains brilliant conceptual ideas that engage our minds by referring to legendary figures in jazz, historic events and activist ideas. Mingus was a master at building arrangements; his compositions were often presented using extended forms that engrossed the audience at each turn. His live recordings especially demonstrate his capacity to write background figures and counterpoint lines that accompanied the exquisite soloists in his bands, aiding them in building their improvised solos to a feverish climax. These arrangements have been tailored by the current Mingus Dynasty Band to replicate the power of the original versions while conforming to the unique styles of the exciting musicians who now perform them.

The Mingus Dynasty Band performing Mingus’ music at the Vermont Jazz Center includes saxophonist Craig Handy. Handy has worked with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Wynton Marsalis and Roy Haynes, released five

recordings as a leader, and has appeared as a sideman in records with Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, The Cookers, Ray Drummond, Joe Henderson, Abdullah Ibrahim, John Scofield, Jack Walrath, Cecil Brooks III, George Cables and many others. He is also known for his role as Coleman Hawkins in the 1996 film Kansas City.

The trombonist in the quintet is Conrad Herwig, who joined the Mingus Big Band in 1992. Herwig has played on hundreds of recordings and has released numerous records as a leader including a series of seven albums with Latinized arrangements of compositions by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Horace Silver and Charles Mingus. Herwig began his professional career with Clark Terry’s Big Band and played in the big bands of Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Herwig has performed and recorded as a sideman in dozens of Latin bands including those of Paquito D’Rivera, Tito Puente, Mario Bauza, Eddie Palmieri, Michel Camilo, Dave Valentin, Danilo Perez, Orishas El Kilo, and Rueben Blades.

The pianist of the group is Jim Ridl who has released nine recordings as a leader and appeared on dozens of records as a sideman including a tenure with jazz guitar legend Pat Martino that resulted in four recordings. He has performed and/or recorded with Steve Wilson, Randy Brecker, Marc Johnson, Bill Stewart, Denis DiBlasio, Kenny Davis, Wayne Krantz, JD Walter, Donald Edwards, Rudy Royston, John Benitez, Donny McCaslin, Mark Walker, Terrell Stafford, Vic Juris and Francois Moutin. Ridl has toured with the US State Department American Music Abroad program, performing and offering workshops in the Asia-Pacific region, Russia, South Korea, China, the Philippines, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Slovania and Malta.

Bassist Boris Kozlov holds the bass chair and serves as Music Director of the ensemble. Called one of the anchors of modern jazz, Koslov has earned three Grammy Awards. Originally from Moscow, he has been on the New York scene for over 35 years, serving as bassist, arranger and Musical Director for Mingus Dynasty band for 22 years. Koslov has performed or recorded with Michael Brecker, Johnathan Blake, Ray Barretto & New World Spirit, Lew Tabackin, David Kikoski, Alex Sipiagin, Jean-Michel Pilc, Brian Lynch, Jaleel Shaw, John DiMartino, The Manhattan Transfer, Take 6, New Cuban Express and many others.

Drummer Donald Edwards is a 2018 recipient of the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works Grant. He has launched four releases as a leader and appears on numerous recordings as a sideman including work with Stacy Dillard, Kat Edmonson, JD Walter, George Colligan, Somi, Dayna Stephens, Conrad Herwig, Jesse Davis, Marcus Printup, Mark Whitfield, Alvin Batiste, Thomas Marriott, Orrin Evans, Walt Weiskopf and many others.