Cherry Juice Thad Jones/Mel Lewis

[stangilmer]

BAD THAD. BAD THAD.

[casch0101]

The BEST modern jazz big band ever!. An all-star band with Thad's wonderful, complex yet tasteful arrangements and compositions. This was more a "reahearsal" band. They met on Mondays because everyone was a top-notch studio and jazz player on its own and had the rest of the week booked. Thad Jones was absolutely great and unique as a composer/arranger.

[jazzuffe]

Bloww off!! Fantastic! And Thad Jones.

[davebaby9000]

I think that's Bob Bowman on bass.

[09dedalus]

who's on the bass?

[davebaby9000]

@09dedalus

I think that's Bob Bowman on bass.

[rvbcaboose777]

who are the sax players in this??

[handelbm]

@rvbcaboose777 I did some digging and the sax players in this are the same 5 guys from the "Live in Munich" album: Jerry Dodgion (lead), Ed Xiques, Larry Schneider (solo), Greg Herbert and Pepper Adams

[tbonesfa]

I remember playing this my freshman year of college. I was honestly intimidated and realized how much I needed to step up my game.

[01234567898229]

Maestro Thad Jones...

[ZackPomerleau]

The end sounded like John Bonham triplet. This proves Bonham's Jazz influence. Incredible stuff!

[Dyintryin]

@ZackPomerleau .It's more likely the case that Mel Influenced him.! Bonham was an incredible drummer in his own field of playing and he had a knowledge of jazz drumming too, but he would probably have scalded you for making that connection and would probably credit all the jazz and RnB drummers of his childhood who influenced him.

Hearing triplets on the drums PROVES nothing . ML could play the shit out of the drums and bury most of the rock guys of that era( and this) in terms of musicality.

[ZackPomerleau]

@Dyintryin You read it wrong. I meant it PROVES that he influenced Bonham, hence Bonham's Jazz influence.

[MRLOVINGOOD]

Before I listened to this piece I was listening to a Child is Born.This tune of Thad's has been all over the world and I feel as though I was there when Thad wrote it.I have most of his LP's.He was a great leader with Mel.I miss them both.Thanks for letting me be a part of history on "YOUTUBE".

[blueroan4]

whats up with the dude in the green at the very beggining? hah wow

[rtblues]

WOW! Great post!

Tj-ML Big Band - best ever!

[djlobstar]

piece is awesome as hell. The lead trumpet is fun as hell too gotta love those dissonant chords in the beginning

[MADDMUZICIAN]

We played this in college ... Love this tune

[jzzlvrmee]

We TRIED to play this on in college....I played tenor on this, and my fingers have survived!!

[gabrielpatricknava]

Great sax section - Schneider, Xiques, Dodgion Herbert and Adams, but I also liked the section that included Joe Lovano, Rich Perry and Gary Pribek.

[satziebaby]

Anyone know where lonnie rubenstein is playing these days...??????

[globalistbrat]

And, yes, Larry Schneider is great, great, with GREAT TONE!

[globalistbrat]

I remember this tune from college. Hard tune to play, but cool as hell--:)

[Confido999]

This was the best of the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Band. Greg Herbert lived only a year longer; he was the best of the big band tenors--loved his work with the Herd. The LP of this venue is my all time favorite. This was September 1976.

[rollosaxx]

I've played Cherry Juice several times. That sax soli is the hardest soli I've ever tried to play. Bitch tune. This vid looks early 70's ? Thad looks young there. Great band, great writer - Thad. This band is now the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Thad's writing has influenced big band music forever.

[musicmanson]

@rollosaxx Thad Jones wrote some crazy sax solis. I am a fan. I want to study his writing some more.

[Laanen]

Right, this the best!

[linlasj]

This band is and will always be one of the best big bands. If not the best...at the end of the day.

[PhilAroundhits]

Mel has one of the greatest sound I've heard. And swing. And musical intelligence. Thad must be God's private arranger.

[MarkR1957]

Someone would have to be a really intelligent musician/drummer, or someone who just really digs Jazz, to understand this. Especially since 99% of everyone on planet Earth judges a drummer by how fast he plays, but truth is, Mel Lewis was the single greatest drummer I have every seen.

And I've seen them all. There was a small group of Elite Master Jazz Drummers, who are all gone now except a select few, like Joe Morello.

They were all magnificent and unique, but I dug Mel the most ~

[PhilAroundhits]

Pat metheny said "I only hire drummers-pianists, they understand music from the inside". But kids don't care about harmony. They want sweat and sawdust. And as they identify to one drummer at a time, they don't choose masters of good taste like Klook or Erskine ! Bring them to jazz is a long way and Thad's music is too difficult. He's a great composer, on Wayne's or Herbie's level. ML is perfect for his music, but only a few will listen. Some listen to some c...rap. Good if some like Weckl !

[Nosies199]

Oh my god i love this song...I play along with it all the time while I'm drumming. I've almost got all the shots down lol

[nfn58]

sounds like a Milan Svoboda peice

[taconip]

Heh. Pepper's on the end rockin the Bari.

[taconip]

SHIT YES

By far, my favorite of Thad's compositions.

[MarkR1957]

I think "Cherry Juice" and "Once Around" are his two best.

They are my two favorite Thad charts.

The version of "Cherry Juice" on Mel's album called "Naturally" is my favorite version of that chart ~

[taconip]

Hm, really?

Never heard it- I'll have to look into that.

I've only heard the version on "New Life"

[Omtomramoa]

Wow!! that swings - Thad Jones was such a gifted musician

[1234swingit]

Holy Smoke!!! Dammit!!! The Thad Jones/Mel lewis Orchestra leading into the era of modern bigband playing!!! The energy, the spirit...still light years ahead.... Wooooooh

[tonyfreejazz20]

Nice...thanks for posting this...I like the other version to with Joe Lavano.

[jazman49]

Thad Jones is the best big band arranger period. Before him, Frank Foster. After him, John Clayton. That is my opinion.

[VIPStephan]

My opinion: After him Bob Brookmeyer. And after Bob comes Maria Schneider right away.

Nevertheless, great tune, great band, great energy.

[farawayeyes5]

Don't forget Rob McConnell, Bill Holman, Bob Brookmeyer, Johnny Richards and Gil Evans, and last but not least, Duke Ellington, who influenced everyone, but I will happily put Thad in the top three, with an honorable mention for Bob Mintzer for "Slo Funk" with Buddy Rich, and whoever did "Nice and Juicy" for Maynard Ferguson.

[dandiacal]

@farawayeyes5 Nice and Juicy was written my Mike Abene

[chasefreak]

@dandiacal Nope. Jeff Steinberg

[enlitened1234]

"actually, Earl is on lead. DA MAN!!!!!!!"

I disagree, Lynn is clearly reading the lead book...and nailing it. At the end of the tune you can see lynn gearing up to play a high b, then back to a g.....

[trane1959]

yeah, you are right about the high note at the end, but Earl is playing lead the rest of the way.

[rmo52]

Thad's 4th valve was for playing quarter tones.

[tfronauer]

You are thinking of Don Ellis's quarter-tone trumpet. The forth valve on 4-valve flugelhorns is for keeping some of the lower notes in tune.

[taconip]

The fourth valve is the same as the combination 1-3 but it's more in tune. Basically it's only used as 4 for D or 2-4 for D flat/C sharp

[smoothbv]

Dude, does it look like Thad Flugelhorn has a 4th valve and for that why?

[linlasj]

THad Jones solo here is great! He is a wonderful composer but also a great trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn player.

[linlasj]

Al Porcino is the best. Nothing to discuss there. He is straight blowing the chart. Right on. Right out.

[scottfg]

Where can I buy this video?

[izzyt76]

check out the recording of this tune from the album called Naturally on Telarc. Whole thing was recorded with two or three mics.....killing record. Actually recorded after thad left the states so its called the Mel Lewis jazz Orchestra

[MarkR1957]

I have the "Nautrally" CD.

It is amazing.

Mel Lewis is an absolute Jazz Master, a Superior drummer in every way, and he should be checked out by many, many more of today's younger players.

[enlitened1234]

dig lynn nicholson on lead trumpet

[trane1959]

actually, Earl is on lead. DA MAN!!!!!!!

[jazzrog]

The Domicile, Munich July 1976

Jazzrog

[ffrailey]

Looks like The Domicile, in Munich. That's a young Harold Danko on piano.

[mingusmonk0]

This is faster than the one on New Life, and it only got faster as the years went on.

[rdangelo]

Underrated trumpet player (Thad). Oh yeah, the trumpet section doesn't suck either...