Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Gerry Mulligan's quartet from 1954 to 1957. He later worked with Jimmy Giuffre, before rejoining Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band. He garnered 8 Grammy Award nominations during his lifetime.
The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis in New York in 1965. The band performed for twelve years in its original incarnation, including a 1972 tour of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. The band won a Grammy Award for the album Live in Munich and in 2009 for the album Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard. The collaboration ended in 1978 with Jones suddenly moving to Copenhagen, Denmark, after which the band became the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. Since the death of Lewis in 1990 it has been known as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. They have maintained a Monday-night residency at the Village Vanguard jazz club in New York for five decades.
Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists".
Melvin Sokoloff, known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations.
Eddie Daniels is an American musician and composer. Although he is best known as a jazz clarinetist, he has also played saxophone and flute as well as classical music on clarinet.
Douglas Purviance is a jazz trombonist. He began his professional career as a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, playing bass trombone and tuba from 1975 to 1977. Mostly, he works as a studio session bass trombonist and is not known for improvising.
Gary Smulyan is a jazz musician who plays baritone saxophone. He studied at Hofstra University before working with Woody Herman. He leads a trio with bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Kenny Washington.
Edward Joseph Bertolatus, better known as Eddie Bert, was an American jazz trombonist.
Franck Amsallem is a French-American jazz pianist, arranger, composer, singer and educator. He was born in 1961 in Oran, French Algeria, but grew up in Nice, France.
Presenting Thad Jones/Mel Lewis & The Jazz Orchestra is a 1966 big band jazz album recorded by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and released on the Solid State Records label. It is the debut release by the orchestra. All tracks are also included on Mosaic's limited edition boxed set, The Complete Solid State Recordings of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.
Live at the Village Vanguard is a 1967 big band jazz album recorded by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and released on the Solid State Records label. The album was nominated for a 1967 Grammy award in the "Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Large Group..." category. All tracks are also included on Mosaic's limited edition boxed set, The Complete Solid State Recordings of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and seven tracks were also re-issued in the 1990s on CD as Volume 3 of LRC Ltd.'s series Village Vanguard Live Sessions.
A Touch of Class is a big band jazz album recorded by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra in Warsaw, Poland in November 1978. The first three tracks, together with a 14-minute version of "Fingers," were previously released in Poland on a Poljazz LP and all tracks were also included on the 2007 compilation album, Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra In Europe and on the 2009 compilation CD, The Complete Poland Concerts 1976 & 1978.
Village Vanguard Live Sessions 3 is an unedited rough-mix of the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra playing at the Village Vanguard club in New York City in 1967. The tracks were previously released on the album Live at the Village Vanguard on the Solid State Records label.
Body and Soul, Live in Berlin is a big band jazz album recorded by the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, recorded in Berlin in October 1978 and released on the West Wind Jazz label. West Wind also issued the two discs individually as The Orchestra and Body and Soul. All tracks except "ABC Blues" are also included in the 2007 compilation album, Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra In Europe.
Opening Night is a big band jazz recording of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra playing at the Village Vanguard club in New York City in February 1966. This was the first performance of the group at this club although the recording was not released until 2000. A 50-year tradition for Monday nights at the Village Vanguard began from this first evening for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra which later became the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and eventually the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Resonance Records released what they term an "official release", approved by the Jones and Lewis estates, in 2016.
It Only Happens Every Time is a 1977 big band jazz album recorded by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra with singer Monica Zetterlund in Helsinki and Stockholm and released by EMI in Europe and by Inner City Records in the US.
The Complete Poland Concerts, 1976 and 1978 is a compilation of the complete live recordings made by the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra in Poland in August 1976 and October 1978. Two additional tracks from a 1978 Berlin concert round out the album.
The Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra In Europe is a compilation of live recordings made by the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra in Poland and Germany in October 1978.
All My Yesterdays is a big band jazz recording of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra playing at the Village Vanguard club in New York City in February and March 1966. The February 7 tracks are the first recordings of the group at this club although the recording was not released until 2016. A 50-year tradition for Monday nights at the Village Vanguard began from this first evening for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra which later became the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and eventually the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.
Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard is an album by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. It won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2009.
