The Mingus Big Band at the Purdue Jazz Festival

During the opening set of the Mingus Big Band's concert at Purdue Saturday, trombonist Conrad Herwig suggested that few, if any, musicians ever had a better year than Charles Mingus did in 1959. Then the band illustrated why, playing tunes from three Mingus albums released that year: "Mingus Ah Um," "Mingus Dynasty," and "Blues and Roots."

Charles Mingus has been my favorite musician since I was a kid, so I was stoked going into the show, but no more than the high school kids on campus for the Purdue Jazz Festival. They went wild when baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall started playing "Moanin'." And certainly no more than trombonist Ku-umba Frank Lacy; David Kikoski's solo during "Moanin'" was so good that Lacy bounded to the other side of the stage to give the pianist a high-five.

There was a lot to get excited about. The group's performance of "Fables of Faubus," one of Mingus' most political songs, was rousing, especially listening to Lacy sing about the racism of Gov. Orval Faubus just a few days before our first African-American president takes office. In fact, Lacy's singing was great throughout the evening.

Tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake's tone was flawless on "Goodbye Porkpie Hat." The saxophone section, which featured Vincent Herring, Mark Gross and Wayne Escoffery (In addition to Marshall and Blake) made me laugh when they started squawking at the beginning of "Bird Calls." Then they launched into the most furious musical relay I've ever heard, with each player burning through a solo before passing the baton to the guy next to him.

I'll also remember solos by trumpeter Lew Soloff, bass trombonist Earl McIntyre and bassist Boris Kozlov. Mostly, though, I'll remember how vital Mingus' music still sounds 30 years after his death. It's wild, unpredictable and unbelievably beautiful. And judging from the comments I heard from teenagers in the lobby after the show, hundreds of young jazz musicians think so, too.