News: June 2000

Thad Jones Legacy

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's "Thad Jones Legacy" wins AFIM 2000 Indie Award for Best Big Band Jazz Recording

New World Records recently received an AFIM Indie Award in the Big Band Jazz Category for The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's Thad Jones Legacy (80581) recording. It is New World's third Indie Award. The award was given at the Association for Independent Music (AFIM) 2000 convention recently held in Cleveland.

The legendary Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra made its debut at the Village Vanguard on February 7, 1966. Thirty-four years later, in its current incarnation as The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, it continues to delight audiences every Monday night at its famous home. The critical acclaim for Thad Jones Legacy has been unanimous. The Los Angeles Times writes: "...these refeshingly alive new interpretations, with brilliant soloing from, among numerous others, tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, trombonist John Mosca and pianist Jim McNeely, powerfully underscore Jones's still not fully acknowledged compositional brilliance."

Billboard magazine says "...the band swings with gleeful abandon, as energetic bop-inspired solos dance within the more traditional big-band melodies. Far from a nostalgia act, this 16-piece orchestra is the real deal, a living testament to the beauty and artistry of big-band music."