Thad Jones Legacy
Critics agree thatThad Jones's talents as an orchestrator and composer overshadowed his thrilling trumpet playing, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is not one to debate the point.Thad Jones Legacyis a portrait of Jones as a communal voice, the writer that helped build this very band three decades ago. Jones and drummer Mel Lewis established the aptly dubbedThad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestrain the mid-1960s as a rehearsal unit to let New York players flex their chops outside their workaday gigs. But Jones and Lewis took the band to many heights, from tours and albums to probably the longest continuous stay of any jazz band in New York. They've played the Village Vanguard every Monday since 1966, changing their name to the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in honor of their home and in the wake of Jones's departure in 1978 and Lewis's death in 1990.Thad Jones Legacyshows the band in prime form, powering through Jones steamrollers like "A--That's Freedom" and the boogaloo-inspired "Central Park North" as well as more steamy, orchestral tunes like "Quiet Lady." At all times, Jones's tunes show distinct postbop tendencies, with the band's ranks firing off solos that sizzle before an uproarious, dazzling backsplash of perfectly balanced reeds and big brass and tight rhythms.--Andrew Bartlett