VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA - DEC
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra brings its Monday-night big-band engagement to the Village Vanguard. This December performance continues the orchestra's long-running residency at the club, a program identified by the venue as having begun in 1966 under the name Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. The supplied details do not name individual players for this date, but the billed act is the orchestra itself, presenting its established large-ensemble format in the club's triangular downstairs room.
The Village Vanguard traces the ensemble's story to 1966, when the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra began an engagement that was extended indefinitely. It has since played more than 2,700 Monday nights at the club, making this performance a continuing chapter in one of the room's defining musical traditions. The material identifies the group as a “world-famous” big band, but provides no complete current lineup, collaborators, hometown, or review quotations.
A narrow basement staircase leads to a triangular room with a red curtain and a stage at the point, where musicians play for a small audience of 123. Tables open like spokes from the stage, and the walls hold portraits of jazz legends. The acoustics are excellent, and the only sound before the music begins is the hum of the room. No food is served, only drinks at a bar. Shows start at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., with seating beginning at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively. The atmosphere is focused entirely on the music, with silence requested before the concert begins.