For 40 years, every Monday, New York's Village Vanguard has featured one of the most stylish mid-size bands in jazz. Started as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, 1965-1979, trumpeter and composer Jones was the brains behind it and drummer Lewis provided the fire in front. After Jones passed away in the late 1980s, Lewis kept the band going, on the strength of Jones' compositions and a roster of great talent. Morphing into the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in the '90s, this Monday-night band still plays.
Some of the veterans of those bands have joined together to pay tribute to Jones, including Thad's brother Hank on piano. Calling themselves Music of Thad Jones and their release "One More," this CD showcases Jones' harmonically advanced compositions, set in motion by the band's deep-cool aesthetic. His songs have few rivals for conceptual brilliance and lyrical beauty.
As these well-known musicians are old hands at both ensemble work and club dates, this release swings like mad. The razor-sharp horns and water-tight rhythm section show why Jones' blues, waltz and bossa nova compositions have endured for so long.
