Now's the Time: The Mingus Big Band

The Mingus Big Band performs April 18 at The Gem Theater. As I noted in March, the version of the band appearing in Kansas City is loaded with all-star talent- Lew Soloff- trumpet, Earl Gardner- trumpet, Kenny Rampton- trumpet, Vincent Herring- sax, Craig Handy- sax, Donny McCaslin- sax, Abraham Burton- sax, Jason Marshall- sax, Frank Lacy- trombone, Conrad Herwig- trombone, Earl McIntyre- trombone, Donald Edwards – drums, Boris Koslov – bass and Helen Sung – piano. Plastic Sax is skeptical of most ghost bands, but the combination of this remarkable collection of talent and Mingus' thorny legacy promise to make this concert very worthwhile.