2. music
  3. 135792-79

Thad Jones

While listening to Pandora in the backgroud...this killer trumpet playing caught my attention.  I walked over to the player to see that it was the Thelonius Monk album 'Five By Monk Five'.  I looked up the album on Wikipedia to see what musicians were on the session. It listed Thad Jones as the trumpeter.  He was killing it.  I'm 65 years old and have been listening to jazz for 46 years and have never heard any music by Thad Jones.   I'd seen his name a few times over the decades while reading about jazz, but nothing ever stood out.  I retrieved the album on Napster and played it.  Excellent album.  Cat can play.

Can anyone recommend any Thad Jones recordings that you think are some of his best work?

On a trivia note, .....pianist Hank Jones and drummer Elvin Jones are his brothers.
128x128mitch4t
frogman
7,339 posts
 
Not only could he play, his skills as an arranger and big band leader were so admired that many forgot what a great player he also was. He co-led with drummer Mel Lewis one of the greatest contemporary big bands in jazz history, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra which for decades has had Monday nights at the Village Vanguard in NYC (called the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra since Lewis’ passing). One of the very best big band arrangers of all time. Got his start as an arranger and trumpeter with Count Basie’s band. Check out:

Thad Jones “The Magnificent Thad Jones”
Hank Jones “Groovin High”
Oliver Nelson “More Blues And The Abstract Truth”
Pepper Adams “Plays The Compositions Of Charles Mingus”

And, of course, as leader and arranger of his big band. Great arranger. Some favorites are:

”Live At The Village Vanguard”
”Central Park North”
”Consummation”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZLvqXFddu0

mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t OP
1,602 posts
 
.
Thanks for the suggestions frogman...I'll check them out.

I'm particularly interested in his playing in a quintet or sextet setting.
.
jond's avatar
jond
5,655 posts
 
Thanks for mentioning Thad Jones just queued up Village Vanguard on Tidal!
wharfy's avatar
wharfy
287 posts
 
This is a fun thread! Thanks for starting it mitch4t.

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, Live at the Village Vanguard, has two incredible bands. One of the musicians, Bob Brookmeyer played valve trombone, and boy can he swing.

If anyone is interested, give Kansas City Revisited as listen. You won't be disappointed.
More to discover