Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra - Central Park North (1969) {2004, 24-bit Remastered}

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Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra - Central Park North (1969) {2004, 24-bit Remastered}

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Near the end of 1965, harmonically advanced trumpeter/cornetist Thad Jones organized a big band with drummer Mel Lewis that from February 1966 onward played Monday nights at the Village Vanguard. During the next decade, the orchestra (although always a part-time affair) became famous and gave Jones an outlet for his writing. He composed one standard ("A Child Is Born") along with many fine pieces, including "Fingers," "Little Pixie," and "Tiptoe." Among the sidemen in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (which started out as an all-star group and later on featured younger players) were trumpeters Bill Berry, Danny Stiles, Richard Williams, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young, and Jon Faddis, trombonists Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Knepper, and Quentin Jackson, the reeds of Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion, Eddie Daniels, Joe Farrell, Pepper Adams, and Billy Harper, pianists Hank Jones and Roland Hanna, and bassists Richard Davis and George Mraz. In 1978, Jones surprised Lewis by suddenly leaving the band and moving to Denmark, an action he never explained. He wrote for a radio orchestra and led his own group, called Eclipse. In late 1984, Jones took over the leadership of the Count Basie Orchestra but within a year, bad health forced him to retire.

~ Scott Yanow, All Music

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Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra - Central Park North (1969) {2004, 24-bit Remastered}

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One doesn't automatically think of big bands when remembering late-'60s jazz, though big bands like the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra continued to make stimulating recordings. Central Park North, recorded and released in 1969, testifies that one could be a big band and progressive at the same time. Flügelhornist Jones and percussionist Lewis are joined by a large cast of players, including tenor Joe Farrell, trombonist Jimmy Knepper, and pianist Roland Hanna. The music runs the gauntlet from funky soul-jazz to more gentle traditional work, sometimes within the same piece. Jones' "Tow Away Zone" begins like a rather typical late-'60s composition (horns and organ with a soulful groove), but as the individual players cut loose with excellent solo work – built within a multi-layered arrangement – the piece takes on a character of its own. "Quietude" moves in the opposite direction, living up to its title by keeping things low-key, while "Jazz Samba" is a nine-minute romp with some great piccolo work. The swinging "Big Dipper" and ambitious title cut bring Central Park North to a satisfying close. The album, at 37 minutes, will seem a bit short by post-millennium standards, but the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra makes every minute count. The 2004 reissue will be a welcomed by fans of adventurous big band music.

~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music

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Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra - Central Park North (1969) {2004, 24-bit Remastered}

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Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra - Central Park North (1969) {2004, 24-bit Remastered}

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Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra - Central Park North (1969) {2004, 24-bit Remastered}

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