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The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 20254 sources
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra
Company typeJazz big band
IndustryMusic
Founded1965 in New York City, United States
FounderThad Jones, Mel Lewis
Defunct1978 (name changed after Jones's move to Copenhagen)
SuccessorMel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Area served
International
Key people
Thad Jones (trumpeter), Mel Lewis (drummer)
ProductsJazz music performances and recordings

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a prominent jazz big band established in 1965 in New York City by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis. The ensemble remained active for twelve years, notably including a 1972 tour across the Soviet Union amid the Cold War tensions. After Jones moved to Copenhagen in 1978, the group continued under the name Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. Following Lewis's passing in 1990, it adopted the title Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, preserving its longstanding Monday-night engagement at the Village Vanguard venue for over fifty years. The orchestra received Grammy Awards for the albums Live in Munich (1978) and Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard (2009).

History

Thad Jones, distinguished as a trumpeter and cornetist, embarked on his professional journey at age 16, performing alongside his brother Hank Jones and collaborating with artists such as Charles Mingus. Between 1954 and 1963, he was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra, where he contributed both compositions and arrangements.[1]

Mel Lewis, a jazz drummer who began his career at 15, worked with leaders including Boyd Raeburn and Stan Kenton. In 1961, he toured the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman. Upon relocating to New York City, Lewis joined forces with Jones to launch the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in late 1965. Starting February 1966, they secured a weekly Monday night residency at the Village Vanguard.[2]

The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra played a pivotal role in shaping contemporary big band jazz. Lewis introduced a relaxed, small-combo style of drumming within the big band context, with his distinctive cymbal technique becoming an identifying feature. Jones’s arrangements influenced subsequent large ensemble composers such as Maria Schneider, Bob Brookmeyer, and Jim McNeely. The band pioneered innovative styles while upholding racial integration during a period marked by social challenges.[3]

Among its notable members were Bill Berry, Billy Harper, Bob Brookmeyer, Eddie Daniels, Hank Jones, Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion, Joe Farrell, Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm, Pepper Adams, Quentin Jackson, Richard Davis, Roland Hanna, and Snooky Young.[4]

Grammy Awards

  • Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra

|- |style="text-align:center;"| |Live At The Village Vanguard (album) |rowspan="12"|Best instrumental Jazz Performance, Big Band | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |Central Park North (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |Consummation (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |Potpourri (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |New Life (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |Live In Munich (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |Naturally (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |Bob Brookmeyer - Composer/Arranger (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |Make Me Smile & Other New Works by Bob Brookmeyer (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |20 Years At The Village Vanguard (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |The Definitive Thad Jones (album) | |- |style="text-align:center;"| |The Definitive Thad Jones (Volume 2: Live from the Village Vanguard) (album) | |}

  • The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

|- |style="text-align:center;"| |'Can I Persuade You? (album) |rowspan="5"|Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album | nom | |- 

| style="text-align:center;" |  
| The Way: Music Of Slide Hampton (album) 
|  
| - 
| style="text-align:center;" |  
| Up From The Skies: Music Of Jim McNeely (album) 
|  
| - 
| style="text-align:center;" |  
| Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard (album) 
|  
| - 
| style="text-align:center;" |  
| OverTime: Music Of Bob Brookmeyer (album) 
|  
| -

}}

From DownBeat'

1972 1973 1974 1974 1975 1975 1976 1976 1977 1977 1978
Year Publication Award
rowspan="11" | Down Beat Readers' Poll-Big Band of the year
Readers' Poll-Big Band of the year
Critics' Poll-Big Band of the year
Readers' Poll-Big Band of the year
Critics' Poll-Big Band of the year
Readers' Poll-Big Band of the year
Critics' Poll-Big Band of the year
Readers' Poll-Big Band of the year
Critics' Poll-Big Band of the year
Readers' Poll-Big Band of the year
Critics' Poll-Big Band of the year

Discography

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

The Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra

  • Naturally (Telarc, 1979)
  • Play the Compositions of Herbie Hancock (Live in Montreux) (MPS, 1980; Pausa, 1982)
  • Bob Brookmeyer - Composer/Arranger (Recorded in Concert at the Village Vanguard, February 1980) (Gryphon, 1980)
  • Make Me Smile & Other New Works by Bob Brookmeyer, also known as Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra...Featuring the Music of Bob Brookmeyer, [live] (Finesse/CBS, 1982; Red Baron/CBS, 1993)
  • 20 Years at the Village Vanguard (Atlantic, 1985)
  • Soft Lights and Hot Music (Musicmasters, 1988)
  • The Definitive Thad Jones (Musicmasters, 1989)
  • The Definitive Thad Jones (Volume 2: Live from the Village Vanguard) (Musicmasters, 1990)
  • To You: A Tribute to Mel Lewis (Musicmasters, 1991)

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

  • Lickety Split: Music of Jim McNeely (New World, 1997)
  • Thad Jones Legacy (New World, 1999)
  • Can I Persuade You? (Planet Arts, 2002)
  • The Way: Music of Slide Hampton (Planet Arts, 2004)
  • Up from the Skies: Music of Jim McNeely (Planet Arts, 2006)
  • Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard (Planet Arts, 2008) - Double CD
  • Forever Lasting: Live in Tokyo (Planet Arts, 2011) - Double CD
  • OverTime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer (Planet Arts, 2014)
  • Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones (Live) (BCM&D Records, 2024) - Double CD

Alumni

Lead trumpet
  • Snooky Young (1966–1972)
  • Jon Faddis (1972–1975)
  • Al Porcino (1975–1976)
  • Earl Gardner (1976–2005)
  • Nick Marchione (2005–present)
Trumpets
  • Thad Jones (1966–1979)
  • Danny Stiles (1966)
  • Jimmy Owens (1966)
  • Bill Berry (1966–1968)
  • Jimmy Nottingham (1966–1969)
  • Richard Williams (1966–1969)
  • Marvin Stamm (1966–1973)
  • Randy Brecker (1968)
  • Danny Moore (1968–1971)
  • Al Porcino (1969–1970 and 1975–1976)
  • Cecil Bridgewater (1971–1976)
  • Stephen Furtado (1972–1975)
  • Jim Bossy (1972–1975)
  • Lew Soloff (1975)
  • Sinclair Acey (1975–1976)
  • Waymon Reed (1975–1977)
  • Earl Gardner (1975–2005)
  • Lynn Nicholson (1976–1977)
  • Frank Gordon (1976–1977)
  • Jeff Davis (1976–1977)
  • Larry Moses (1977–1980)
  • Laurie Frink (1978–1987)
  • Irvin Stokes (1978)
  • Simo Salminen (1978–1980)
  • Ron Tooley (1978–1980)
  • John Marshall (1979–1983)
  • Joe Mosello (1980–2005)
  • Tom Harrell (1982)
  • Jim Powell (1982–1995)
  • Glenn Drewes (1983–2005)
  • Ryan Kisor (1995–1997)
  • Scott Wendholt (1997–present)
  • Frank Greene (2005–2009)
  • Terell Stafford (2005–present)
  • Tanya Darby (2009–2016)
  • John Chudoba (2016–present)
Lead trombone
  • Bob Brookmeyer (1966–1968)
  • Garnett Brown (1968–1969)
  • Eddie Bert (1969–1972)
  • Jimmy Knepper (1972–1975)
  • Billy Campbell (1975–1977)
  • John Mosca (1977–2018)
  • Marshall Gilkes (2019–present)
Trombones
  • Jack Rains (1966)
  • Tom McIntosh (1966–1967)
  • Garnett Brown (1966–1969)
  • Jimmy Cleveland (1968)
  • Jimmy Knepper(1968–1975)
  • Benny Powell(1969–1971)
  • Quentin Jackson(1972–1975)
  • Billy Campbell(1972–1977)
  • Alex Kofman(1975)
  • Janice Robinson(1975–1976)
  • John Mosca(1975–2018)
  • Clifford Adams(1976–1977)
  • Lolly Bienenfeld(1978–1980)
  • Lee Robertson(1978–1981)
  • Ed Neumeister(1981–1999)
  • Jason Jackson(1998–present)
  • Luis Bonilla(1999–2019)
  • Dion Tucker(2019–present)
Bass trombone
  • Cliff Heather(1966–1974)
  • Dave Taylor(1974–1975)
  • Earl McIntyre(1975–1998)
  • Douglas Purviance(1978–present)
French horn
  • Stephanie Fauber(1979–1991)
Saxophones
Lead alto saxophone
  • Jerome Richardson(1966–1970)
  • Jerry Dodgion(1971–1978)
  • Dick Oatts(1978–present)
Second alto saxophone
  • Jerry Dodgion(1966–1970)
  • Ed Xiques(1971–1977)
  • Dick Oatts(1977-78), Steve Coleman(78-80), Kenny Garrett(80-82), Bill Easley(82), Ted Nash(82-91), Billy Drewes(91-present)
First tenor saxophone

| Joe Farrell(66-69), Seldon Powell(68), Joe Henderson(69), Billy Harper(70-75), Frank Foster(75), Larry Schneider(75-78), Bob Rockwell(78-80), Joe Lovano(80-91), Rich Perry(91-present)

Second tenor saxophone

| Eddie Daniels(66-72), Ron Bridgewater(72-75), Gregory Herbert(75-77), Rich Perry(77-80), Ralph Lalama(83-present)

Baritone saxophone

| Pepper Adams(66-77), Gary Smulyan(80-present)

Guitar

| Sam Herman(66-68)

Piano

| Hank Jones(66), Roland Hanna(66-75), Walter Norris(75-76), Harold Danko(76-78), Jim McNeely(78-84 & 95-19), Kenny Werner(84-95), Adam Birnbaum(present)

Bass

| Richard Davis(66-72), Gene Perla & George Mraz early '70s, Rufus Reid late '70s, Dennis Irwin('83-'08), David Wong(present)

Drums

| Mel Lewis('66-'90), Dennis Mackrel('90-'91), Danny Gottlieb('91-'92), John Riley(present)

Vocals

| Dee Dee Bridgewater('71-'74); guest appearances by Ruth Brown and Joe Williams

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Jones
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Lewis
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WONG
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named JLOrch

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