{"title":"Thad Jones","description":"\u003cp\u003eBorn Thaddeus Joseph Jones in Pontiac, Michigan on 28 March 1923, Thad Jones became one of jazz's most influential composers, arrangers, and trumpeters, part of a legendary musical family that included pianist Hank Jones and drummer Elvin Jones. Self-taught on trumpet from age 13, he began performing professionally at 16 before serving in US Army bands during World War II (1943-1946). After honing his skills in Detroit's Blue Bird Inn house band alongside brother Elvin, saxophonist Billy Mitchell, and pianist Tommy Flanagan, Jones joined Count Basie's newly reorganised \"New Testament\" band in May 1954, remaining until 1963. He contributed nearly two dozen arrangements and compositions including \"The Deacon\", \"H.R.H. (Her Royal Highness)\" (commemorating the band's command performance for Queen Elizabeth), \"Counter Block\", and \"Speaking of Sounds\", whilst playing featured cornet on classics like \"April in Paris\" and \"Shiny Stockings\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1965, Jones and drummer Mel Lewis co-founded the Thad Jones\/Mel Lewis Orchestra, which debuted at New York's Village Vanguard in February 1966, beginning a legendary Monday night residency that modernised big band music through Jones's harmonically rich, dissonant voicings in tonal contexts. His best-known composition is the standard \"A Child Is Born\". Charles Mingus called him \"the greatest trumpet player I've heard in this life\", whilst Tom Harrell described his tone as \"like Louis Armstrong on acid\". In 1978 Jones suddenly moved to Copenhagen, leading the Danish Radio Big Band, forming his band Eclipse, and teaching at the Royal Danish Conservatory whilst studying composition formally. He returned to the United States in 1985 to lead the Count Basie Orchestra after Basie's death but retired due to ill health, dying in Copenhagen on 20 August 1986.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"thad-jones-the-magnificent-thad-jones-1990-japanese-blue-note-mono-lp","title":"Thad Jones - The Magnificent Thad Jones (1990 Japanese Blue Note Mono LP)","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVinyl\u003c\/b\u003e: NM\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSleeve\u003c\/b\u003e: EX\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObi:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEX\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur grading system explained \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dpbg4u-d1.myshopify.com\/pages\/secondhand-grading-guide\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ehere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoto is of the actual item.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThad Jones - \u003cem\u003eThe Magnificent Thad Jones\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVinyl LP - 1990 Japanese Blue Note BLP 1500 Revival Limited Edition Mono Reissue\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrumpeter Thad Jones' Blue Note debut showcases his lyrical yet sophisticated approach leading a quintet featuring tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Max Roach. Recorded on 14 July 1956 at Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack studio and produced by Alfred Lion, the five-track album balances standards with Jones originals, his trumpet work demonstrating both technical command and melodic invention. Released in Japan on 26 December 1990 as part of Blue Note's BLP 1500 Revival series and LP Last Reissue programme, this limited edition mono pressing by Toshiba EMI captures Jones before his later fame as arranger and co-leader of the Thad Jones\/Mel Lewis Orchestra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJones' playing sits stylistically between bebop's rapid-fire complexity and hard bop's blues-based directness, his phrasing sophisticated yet always swinging. The frontline pairing with Billy Mitchell creates rich harmonies and contrapuntal possibilities, while Barry Harris' piano provides both hard-swinging support and harmonically advanced solo statements. The rhythm section of Percy Heath and Max Roach represents bebop's finest, Heath's melodic bass work and Roach's precise yet explosive drumming providing ideal foundation for the frontline's explorations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe programme includes Jones originals \"Billie-Doo\" and \"Thedia\" alongside standards \"April In Paris\", \"If I Love Again\", and \"If Someone Had Told Me\", each composition receiving treatment that honours melody while allowing modern harmonic reinterpretation. Van Gelder's recording captures the quintet with his characteristic clarity and presence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blue Note","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43187644661819,"sku":null,"price":100.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/IMG_5949_7bea68fc-6216-406a-bc1f-8f2b542cca84.jpg?v=1769989376"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/thad-jones.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}