The Mingus Big Band, which has lost a little of its edge on its past couple of albums, introduces a few wrinkles on Tonight at Noon--which, like its predecessors, consists of compositions by the late and great Charles Mingus. On four consecutive tunes, it expands to the 11-piece Charles Mingus Orchestra, a bottom-enhancing unit including French horn, bassoon and bass clarinet. The finale is a partial reading of the neglected extended masterpiece, "The Black Saint & the Sinner Lady" (1963). And on the 60s-derived song "Invisible Lady" genre-hopping rocker Elvis Costello sings his own lyrics. Costello is less than a natural in this setting, both as a vocalist and as an overly poetic wordsmith. But the orchestra, which makes its recorded debut, breathes burnished truth into songs such as "Eclipse". The 17-minute "Black Saint" excerpt, arranged as are many of the songs by trusty Mingus veteran Sy Johnson, is no substitute for the gripping original, but handles the ebbs and flows and episodic shifts with élan. As a whole, Tonight at Noon succeeds in casting appreciative light on Mingus's melodic-reflective side while managing to incorporate the earthiness that so strongly defined him. --Lloyd Sachs