CSU Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Peter Sommer, and Jazz Ensemble II, under the direction of Wil Swindler, present the music of the great American bassist and composer Charles Mingus. Mingus, best known for his wild, improvisatory, blues-drenched compositions and fiery bass playing, is also known for seeking a bridge between Duke Ellington and Jelly Roll Morton, the burgeoning avant-garde movement of the late 1950s, and his roots in gospel and Latin American music.