Thad Jones
| Thad Jones | |
|---|---|
Thad Jones
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thaddeus Joseph Jones |
| Born | March 28, 1923 |
| Origin | Pontiac, Michigan, United States |
| Died | August 20, 1986 (aged 63) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Genres | Bebop, hard bop, mainstream jazz, post-bop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader |
| Instruments | Trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn |
| Years active | 1954-1986 |
| Labels | A&M, Blue Note, Debut |
| Associated acts | Count Basie, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk |
Thaddeus Joseph "Thad" Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.
Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on March 28, 1923, to Henry and Olivvia Jones, a musical family of 10 (an older brother was pianist Hank Jones and a younger brother was drummer Elvin Jones). A self-taught musician, Thad began performing professionally at the age of 16. He served in U.S. Army bands during World War II (1943–46).
After his military service, which included an association with the U.S. Military School of Music and working with area bands in Des Moines and Oklahoma City, Jones became a member of the Count Basie Orchestra in May 1954. He was featured as a soloist on such well-known tunes as "April in Paris", "Shiny Stockings" and "Corner Pocket". However, his main contribution to Basie's organization was nearly two dozen arrangements and compositions, which included "The Deacon", "H.R.H." (Her Royal Highness — in honor of the band's command performance in London), "Counter Block", and lesser known tracks such as "Speaking of Sounds". His hymn-like ballad "To You" was performed by the Basie band combined with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in their only recording together, and the recording Dance Along With Basie contains nearly an entire album of Jones' uncredited arrangements of standard tunes.
In 1959 Jones played cornet on Thelonious Monk's 5 by Monk by 5 album.
Jones left the Basie Orchestra in 1963 to become a freelance arranger and musician in New York City. In 1965 he and drummer Mel Lewis formed the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. The group started with informal late-night jam sessions among New York's top studio musicians. They began performing at the Village Vanguard in February 1966, to wide acclaim, and continued with Jones in the lead for 12 years. They won a 1978 Grammy Award for their album Live in Munich. Jones also taught at William Paterson College in New Jersey, which is now the site of the Thad Jones Archive, containing pencil scores and vintage photos as part of the Living Jazz Archives.
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