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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
wharfy's avatar
wharfy
61 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.
jafant
10,525 posts
 

Another +vote for the Village Vanguard set w/ Mel Lewis and The Magnificent Thad Jones.

Happy Listening!

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
6,996 posts
 
Hi Mitch4t,
As a fellow jazz aficionado I’m somewhat surprised you’ve just recently discovered this outstanding trumpeter. He was every bit the talent equal of Miles, Clifford Grown, Fats Navarro etc. As usual Frogman is spot on.

Small combo settings,
"Mean What You Say"
"Keeping Up With The Joneses"
"After Hours"
"The Fabulous Thad Jones"
"Detroit-New York Junction"
Thad could flat out play, yes indeed 😅.
Charles
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
6,996 posts
 
The Jones brothers Hank, Thad and Elvin were one of the great families of jazz along with,
Heath brothers,  Percy, Jimmy and Albert.
Montgomery brothers,  Wes, Buddy and Monk.
Charles 
mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t OP
1,486 posts
 
Charles1dad, I work from home and have jazz in the background all day.  I've listened to jazz all my adult life...a lot.  I've heard a LOT of jazz.  In the beginning my only exposure to jazz was jazz radio.  If the DJ's didn't play it, I didn't hear it.  No one played Thad Jones.  My other exposure is from music recommended by friends.  No one recommended Thad Jones.  In the mean time I own over 4,000 albums (vinyl & cd combined), I listen to a paid subscription of Napster and Pandora.  I have access to more music than I can ever listen to in a lifetime.  There is SO MUCH great jazz out there and only so many hours in a day.  There are still many great jazz artists's music that I've never heard.  Thanks to Pandora, and the bottomless reservoir of jazz that's been recorded throughout history, I'll still be discovering new jazz recordings for the rest of my life.
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