The Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Orchestra

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewisaround 1965. The band performed for twelve years in its original incarnation, and included a 1972 tour of the Soviet Unionduring the height of the Cold War. The band won a 1978 Grammy Award for the album Live in Munich and in 2009 a Grammy Award for the album Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard. The collaboration ended in 1978 with Jones suddenly moving to Copenhagen, Denmark, after which the band became the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. Since the death of Lewis in 1990 it has been known as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. They have maintained a Monday-night residency at the Village Vanguard for five decades.