The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is in top form during these early 2008 live performances at its namesake nightclub, where its ancestor, The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra held court on Monday night for years. Led by conductor/arranger Jim McNeely (with Michael Weiss playing piano on most tracks), the bulk of the material in this two-disc set consists of charts by the late Thad Jones. Weiss transcribed Jones' "Mean What You Say" (a top-notch arrangement written without a score), producing swinging results. Jones' scoring of pop star Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" still sounds very fresh, showcasing Dick Oatts on piccolo and soprano sax. Bob Brookmeyer, one of the founding members of the Jones-Lewis Orchestra, contributed the unusual setting of "St. Louis Blues," it begins with an ominous air before moving on to swing. McNeely's amusing Latin-flavored "Las Cucarachas Entron" was inspired in part by a Spanish-language marketing campaign for the pest control product The Roach Motel. Unfortunately, longtime bassist Dennis Irwin was near the end of his battle with cancer and unable to take part in these performances, though Phil Palombi spells his ill predecessor very well. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide