- For the New Orleans music historian, see Tad Jones. Thaddeus Bunol Jones ( 19 September 1952 &ndash 1 January 2007) was a Music historian and researcher best known for discovering
Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 21, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States
He was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten (an older brother was pianist Hank Jones and a younger brother was drummer Elvin Jones). Pontiac is a city in the US state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac. Henry "Hank" Jones (born July 31, 1918) is an American Jazz Pianist, Bandleader, and Composer Elvin Ray Jones ( 9 September 1927 &ndash 18 May 2004) was one of the most influential jazz drummers of the Post-bop era Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen. He served in U.S. Army bands during World War II (1943-46). The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
After the war, Thad Jones continued his professional music career, eventually winding up with Count Basie in 1954, for whom he arranged, composed, and performed. William "Count" Basie ( August 21, 1904 &ndash April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, Organist He stayed with Basie for nine years. Thad achieved critical acclaim during this time, but not for his work with Basie. Much of Jones's music was stylistically original and didn't always fit in with the Basie group which he left in 1963. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In the early sixties he became a free lance arranger and performer in the New York area. The City of New York
In 1965, he and drummer Mel Lewis formed the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. Mel Lewis ( May 10, 1929 - February 2, 1990) was a Drummer, Jazz musician and Band leader. The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a Jazz Big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis around 1965. The group initially began with informal late night jam sessions amongst New York's top studio musicians. The group eventually began performing at the Village Vanguard, to wide acclaim, and continued with Jones in the lead for twelve years. They won a 1978 Grammy Award for their album Live in Munich. The 21st Grammy Awards were held in 1979, and were broadcast live on American television Live in Munich is a live 1976 Big band jazz album recorded by the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra in Munich, Germany and [1] Jones also taught at William Paterson College in New Jersey. William Paterson University is a public university located in Wayne New Jersey, an affluent suburb of New York City.
Jones' big band arranging style was unique, especially from the standpoint of featuring dissonant voicings in a tonal context. This required the members of his big band to play correctly in tune, otherwise the dense chords he wrote would not sound correct. Minor 2nds and major 7ths are often featured in his voicings, especially when the entire band plays a long, powerful chord that some would describe as having "bite".
One of the more notable albums he made in this regard is Suite for Pops recorded on the A&M Records "Horizon" label (now out of print) in the early 70's. Suite for Pops is a 1972 Big band jazz album recorded by the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and released on the A&M Horizon label A&M Records is an American Record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division It also featured the intense bebop improvisations of saxophonist Billy Harper and the high note screech playing of lead trumpet player Jon Faddis. Jon Faddis, born on July 24, 1953 in Oakland California, is an American Jazz Trumpet player
In 1978, Thad suddenly moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, (to the great surprise of his New York band mates), where several other American jazz musicians had gone to live. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe There, he formed a new band Eclipse, composed for The Danish Radio Big Band and taught jazz at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen.
A year before his death, Jones came back to the U. S. to lead the Count Basie Orchestra but had to step down due to ill health. The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece Big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the Swing era, founded by Count Basie. He returned to his home in Copenhagen for the last few months of his life. He died on August 21, 1986 after being hospitalized for months but his cause of death was not published. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) At the time of his death he had a six year old child, also named Thad Jones, with his wife Lis Jones, a daughter Thadia and a son Bruce. He is buried there in the Vestre Kirkegard Cemetery (Western Churchyard Cemetery). [2]
Charles Mingus called Jones ". Charles Mingus ( 22 April 1922 &ndash 5 January 1979) was an American Jazz Bassist, Composer, . . the greatest trumpet player I've heard in this life. " In later years his playing ability was overshadowed by his composing and arranging skills. His best known composition is the standard A Child is Born.
References
- ^ LA Times, "The Envelope" awards database. (link) Accessed 2008 April 30.
- ^ Reuter. Award-winning poet honored by peers, Globe & Mail. The Globe and Mail is a Canadian English language nationally distributed Newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities August 22, 1986. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)
External links
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