AOTW: Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Quartet (CD-0830)

[Captain Bacardi]

Thad Jones & Mel Lewis
THE THAD JONES/MEL LEWIS QUARTET
A&M CD 0830

Released 1989

Format: CD & Cassette

Produced by John Snyder

Songs:

• 1. But Not For Me (George Gershwin) 16:56
  2. This Can't Be Love (Richard Rogers/Lorenz Hart) 4:09
  3. Autumn Leaves (Joseph Kosma/Johnny Mercer) 15:31
  4. What Is This Thing (Thad Jones/Mel Lewis) 5:17
  5. Love For Sale (Cole Porter) 9:24
  6. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Mercer Ellington/Ted Persons) 12:18

Musicians:
Thad Jones - Cornet
Mel Lewis - Drums
Rufus Reid - Bass
Harold Danko - Piano

Recorded at the Airliner Lounge, Miami, Florida on September 24, 1977 by Mack Emerman, assisted by Peter Yianilos and Joe Foglia and Criterion-Artisan remote facilities.
Mixed by Geoff Sykes and Ed Michel at Kendun Recorders, Burbank, California, November 7 and 8, 1977.
Digitally mastered on January 27, 1989 by John Snyder and Rudy Van Gelder.
Selections 1-4 previously released on Artists House.

Art Direction: Chuck Beeson
Design: Philip Shima
Photography: Carol Friedman

Liner notes by Mel Lewis, Rufus Reid, Thad Jones and Harold Danko.

Thad Jones solo on "What Is This Thing" transcribed by Bruce Thomas.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[jimac51]

An interesting history for this album. It was originally issued in 1978 on vinyl on John Snyder's Artist House label. Thad and Mel had recorded their last orchestra album with A&M in 1976. The album was manufactured as a gatefold and included an eight page booklet with photos. Eleven years pass, John Snyder is back at A&M and remasters this quartet date for CD issue(as noted in the Cap'ns info above,cassette was also available),adding the last two tracks(and about 20 minutes to the album) and completely make overs the artwork,making it look more like an album from the original Horizon series,with a solo transcription and quotes from all of the players. I love everything about the A&M version. The album consists entirely of standards("What Is This Thing",credited to Thad & Mel,is based on a progression from Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing called Love") and with those long playing times,everyone has space to solo. Rufus Reid is the unsung hero but everyone plays on an equal field here. Live quartet recordings of standards are sometimes seen as a dime a dozen,but this album is indeed special and is as fresh today as almost 30 years ago. The vinyl version on Artist House shows up on ebay fairly regularly(make sure it has the booklet!) and,every so often,the A&M CD shows up-a keeper. I suspect that Snyder owns the masters to this album and another reissue,though highly improbable,would be worthwhile-good stuff like this should always be available. Mac

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This was a bit of a departure for me when I first heard this album. I'm used to the Jones/Lewis big band, so hearing a straight-ahead quartet recording by these two was nice to hear. Thad Jones was a pretty good cornet player, as he demonstrates on this album. It's not a particularly different album from most jam sessions on record, but a solid performance by all. I especially liked Harold Danko's quote of "Carmen" on "Autumn Leaves".

I never saw this album on the Artist House label when it first came out, and didn't even know about the album until I bought a cassette off of our own Steve Sidoruk. I soon saw it at a record show and gobbled it up right away.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[jimac51]

Speaking of Thad-I was thinking of starting a new thread,but maybe here is as good as any. A new tribute album-ONE MORE:MUSIC OF THAD JONES was released recently on IPO Records,a small label with the last recordings of Sir Roland Hanna and a Roger Kellaway tribute to Bobby Darin. An all-star "little big band" octet featuring Thad's brother Hank(approaching 90 years of age),James Moody,Benny Golson,Bob Brookmeyer,Jimmy Owens,(another A&M/Horizon artist),Frank Wess,Mickey Roker and Richard Davis go through a batch of Thad originals with style,grace and swing.An unusual clip of Sir Roland doing a piano intro to "A Child Is born"(lifted from an earlier recording-Hanna died in 2002) is a little jarring on paper but works just fine(Hanna did the original recording and would gradually add a nice solo to intro "Child" during his tenure in the Jones/Lewis band so it is fitting to have him intro this version is justified). Highly recommended! Thanks to someone thinking the right way at Borders for filing this under Jones as opposed to a various artist or compilation section I picked this up unheard and was not disappointed with my purchase. Mac