In honor of the 100th anniversary of Charles Mingus birth April 22, 2022, Mingus Big Band kicked off the celebrations in January of 2020 with the Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions. Over several days at Sound on Sound Studios in Montclair, New Jersey, the world-renowned Mingus repertory ensemble made one of their highest quality recordings to date.

Engineer Rich Keller spearheaded the recording, with sessions directed by co-leaders Alex Foster and Boris Kozlov, the latter playing Minguss legendary 1927 Ernst Heinrich Roth double bass. Highlights include vocals and narrations by Charles son Eric Mingus and a rotating lineup of first-class musicians in Mingus Big Band tradition, enabling the recordings to feature thirty-four musicians.

The Mingus compositions for the sessions were carefully selected by the creative team and THE CHARLES MINGUS CENTENNIAL SESSIONS VOL. 2. features eight performances captured during these momentous recording dates.

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. 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 Joes Pub, Iridium, and at Mingus Mondays at Jazz Standard until its pandemic closure and now at their new home DROM NYC every Wednesday.