VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA - OCT, NOV
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra brings its Monday-night Village Vanguard engagement to the late set, in the 16-piece formation listed by the club: five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones and rhythm section. The band’s long-running residency is the point of the evening, with a full jazz-orchestra program from an ensemble built for detailed arrangements, collective passages and featured soloists.
Based in New York, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra traces its history to the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, formed in 1966, and has continued that band’s repertoire through more than 2,700 Monday performances at the Vanguard. Its book also includes music by later composers and arrangers such as Bob Brookmeyer and Jim McNeely. The New York Times has described arrangements from its “celebrated book,” while Jazz.com heard “riotous full band polyphony” alongside standout soloists. All About Jazz called the group “hellacious,” and a SeattlePI review said its Brookmeyer program was delivered “with panache.”
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.