The Charles Mingus Orchestra is an established ensemble that began alternating performances with its older sibling, the Mingus Big Band, during a 14-year tenure at New York's Fez Under Time Cafe. In November 2004, the Mingus Big Band moved to the Iridium club in midtown. In March and April of 2005, the Mingus Orchestra performed across the street from Fez for a series of extraordinary late-night performances at Joe's Pub. Now the Orchestra, the Dynasty, and the Big Band rotate at Iridium every Tuesday night.

Assembled in 1999 by Sue Mingus, the Mingus Orchestra plays with the intensity of the Mingus Big Band, but with a focus on composition and less emphasis on soloing. Its distinctive sound emerges from an expanded repertory and more exotic instrumentation, including bassoon, bass clarinet, French horn, and guitar – instruments not heard in the Big Band ensemble. The other six instruments are chaired by musicians that also play in the Big Band, and include drums, bass, trombone, trumpet, alto and tenor saxophone, with additional doublings on flute, soprano and clarinet.

Members of the 10-piece Mingus Orchestra have included the following (one musician for each chair):
Tenor and Soprano Sax: Seamus Blake, Craig Handy, Wayne Escoffery, Mike Sim,
Alto and Soprano Sax, Flute, Clarinet: Alex Foster, Craig Handy, Scott Robinson
Bass Clarinet: Douglas Yates, Ronnie Cuber, Mike Sim
Bassoon: Michael Rabinowitz, Janet Grice
French Horn: Bobby Routch, Tom Varner, Vincent Chancey
Trombone: Ku-umba Frank Lacy, Conrad Herwig, Jonathan Arons, Joe Fieldler, Ron Westray
Trumpet: Kenny Rampton, Alex Sipiagin, Jeremy Pelt, Eddie Henderson, Randy Brecker, Jack Walrath
Guitar: Freddie Bryant, Mark Whitfield, Adam Rogers, David Gilmore,
Bass: Boris Kozlov, Andy McKee, Hans Glawischnig
Drums: Donald Edwards, Johnathan Blake