Our acclaimed “Mingus Mondays” residency continues each week in February, spotlighting the music of Charles Mingus (1922–1979). Had American symphony orchestras not discriminated against African–American musicians throughout much of the 20th century, this legendary bassist and composer might have led an entirely different career – for Mingus was as much a student of Beethoven and Debussy as of Fats Waller and Duke Ellington. His classical aspira­tions found their outlet in dozens of compositions written for a sort of jazz–band–plus that included non-jazz instruments like bassoon, oboe, and French horn. The Mingus Orchestra is devoted to this often overlooked aspect of its namesake’s protean legacy.