VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA - DEC
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra plays the Village Vanguard on Monday, December 21. Billed as a big band, the orchestra carries on the venue’s long-running Monday-night engagement, a regular fixture that has logged more than 2,700 Monday performances. The evening is an 8 p.m. performance in the Vanguard’s downstairs room, where the focus is squarely on the band.
The orchestra began in 1966 as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and has continued its Monday residency at the Village Vanguard for more than half a century. The venue identifies the group as a big band. Its homepage lists Adam Birnbaum on piano, David Wong on bass and John Riley on drums among the orchestra’s personnel, though no full lineup is specified for this date. The supplied material does not identify the orchestra’s place of origin, collaborators, or critical notices.
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.