Mingus Fest! Mingus Big Band OPEN REHEARSAL 12pm-4pm at New School PLUS LIVESTREAM
- New School Arnhold Hall 55 West 13th Street New York, NY, 10011 United States (map)
Open rehearsal/master class and Q&A FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC but requires RSVP!
Boris Kozlov, bassist, is a two-time Grammy Award-winning musician, composer and arranger.
Currently serving as a bassist, arranger and musical director for Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Orchestra, as well as leading his own projects, he has also been a first-call bassist for such important jazz acts as Michael Brecker, John Blake, Ray Barretto's 'New World Spirit', Lew Tabackin, David Kikoski, Alex Sipiagin, Jean-Michel Pilc and many others.
Donald Edwards has played across the globe with some of the finest musicians in jazz and other genres. He has now built a reputation all his own. He is a 2018 recipient of the Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works Grant, A Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Jazz Project. After winning the Louisiana Arts Ambassador’s Award in 1994 for Music Composition, Donald Edwards became one of the most sought after drummers on the Baton Rouge/ New Orleans music scene. He grew up playing different kinds of music ranging from marching band, hip-hop and pop to r&b, jazz, funk and gospel music. As a result, Edwards is now called on to play many different genres of music and meets them with creative interpretation and virtuosity. Donald Edwards is among the vanguard of players on the New York scene today. Edwards has 4 recordings as a leader and is also involved in the production of numerous recording projects.
Mingus Big Band performs exclusively the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus who celebrated his Centennial year in 2022. Building off the strengths of Mingus Dynasty septet Sue Mingus formed after Mingus’ death in 1979, and 1989’s Epitaph orchestra, in 1991 she created this 14-piece band to feature new arrangements of Mingus compositions in a larger band format that Mingus wanted, but 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, Mingus Big Band is highly sought-after by festivals and prestigious venues around the world. The band has twelve recordings to its credit, seven 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 was be released in 2024 on Candid Records.
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 and has since had various residencies at top NYC venues. Check out events to find Mingus Big Band performances in NYC and elsewhere, including 4 shows at Joe’s Pub Feb 15 & 16 during 2025 Mingus Festival
LAST YEAR’S OPEN REHEARSAL:
- Tagged 2026HS