Charles Mingus Tribute Band presents ' The Black Saint & the Sinner Lady '

"Forget all my other records” must be the most famous quote from Charles Mingus about his Composition “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady”. The suite is a masterpiece written by the American Bass player, composer and poet who is one of the most important trailblazers of avant-garde and a link between traditional and modernism in Jazz. This opus was initially written as a ballet, however he never performed it after recording it in 1963 in New York. This may be due to the inner complexity of the composition. This work is not only a personal and simultaneously strong testimony of this extraordinary musicians work, but also a testimony of the emancipation of jazz.

The ensemble from the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich brings this extraordinary musicians’ work to life in celebration of his 100th birth celebration. As there is no sheet music available, all of the parts had to be transcribed, orchestrated and partly rearranged by Prof. Martin Zenker. This masterpiece, which has been very seldomly performed since its recording, is a complex and expressive work which requires both strict discipline and great freedom from the musicians. The Charles Mingus Ensemble bravely set themselves this challenge and look forward to bringing it to South African audiences to enjoy.