Mingus Big Band
The Pocket130 West 46th Street, New York 10036
Mingus Big Band brings its continuing Mingus Mondays residency to The Pocket with a 14-piece ensemble devoted exclusively to Charles Mingus’s music. Created by Sue Mingus, the band presents new arrangements of the composer, bassist and activist’s work in the large-band setting he envisioned but could not always assemble during his lifetime. Its rotating New York players use that framework for extended exploration and individual expression, following the open-ended spirit of Mingus’s Jazz Workshop projects.
Founded in New York by Sue Mingus in 1991, the ensemble has sustained Mingus’s repertoire through a long-running residency and a changing cast of established and emerging musicians. Seven of its recordings have received Grammy nominations, including The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions in 2022, and it won in 2011 for Live at Jazz Standard. The band’s recorded history includes co-leaders Alex Foster and Boris Kozlov; the Centennial Sessions drew on 34 musicians in its rotating tradition. The Guardian has heard “charismatic, unpredictable jazz passion” and “power and passion and capricious swing,” while another review called the group “appropriately weighty and agile at once.”
The Pocket offers a close-up encounter with world-class jazz musicians in a small, focused setting where every note feels immediate and unfiltered. The room is designed to bring listeners near the performers, creating a direct connection that makes the music feel personal and vivid. Seating is limited and arranged to emphasize attentive listening rather than casual socializing, with a bar available to complement the experience. Shows are ticketed, encouraging an audience that is there to fully engage with the performance. The venue’s location in Manhattan places it within easy reach of the city’s vibrant cultural pulse, making it a perfect spot for an evening dedicated to serious jazz appreciation without distractions.