After Hours

Thad Jones/Mel Lewis. Cherry Juice

Here we have Thad (on trumpet) and Mel (on drums) and a dozen or so of their close personal friends playing for a bunch of Germans in the seventies. This is a Jones chart and arrangement. I did this with the Seattle Central Big Band some years back and let me tell you, it's the toughest thing I've ever played. I had a solo on tenor (it's the big tenor solo - I only got lost three times!) and then the sax soli (when whole section plays together) was total murder. We sounded rough, but we made up for it by being loud. These guys are tons better and not blasting quite as much. The beginning is a bit rough, but the rest of it is superb. And if you're ever at the Village Vanguard on a Monday night, the Jones/Lewis veterans get together and play all the old charts. (At least I think they still own Monday nights.) Give this number a request and hear what happens. It'll probably be amazing.