Tommy Vig is one of those jazz names which, when it pops to the surface, triggers you to say, "Hey, I’ve heard of him." Among many listeners, anyway. Among musicians, Mr. Vig is well known, his extensive discography betraying the fact. Among his credits are performances with Stan Kenton, Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini, Red Rodney, Joe Pass, Don Ellis, Art Pepper, the Miles Davis/Gil Evans big band, and others. He is credited with contributions to the Manhattan Transfer’s The Anthology: Down in Birdland , Diana Ross’ Red Hot Rhythm and Blues, Freddie Hubbard’s Bundle of Joy , and Rod Stewart’s Night on the Town. That is a weighty reputation to precede a new record.

Mr. Vig’s new recording, Now and Then , is an obvious labor of love. It contains music recorded from early 1947 through 2003. A fine gossamer thread passes through the Austro-Hungarian musical tradition, binding all nine selections presented on this recording. The earliest recordings have Mr. Vig, a spry nine year old, playing drums in his home of Budapest. He accompanies is father, George Vig, who plays clarinet on "The Prisoner’s Song." While the sound quality is marginal, the vigor and joy with which these older songs are played is an inspiration. What a thrill it must have been for Mr. Vig to perform live with his father. Today, the elder Mr. Vig is 93 years old and live in Budapest.

Most provocative and satisfying on the collection are the two pieces Mr. Vig performs with his wife, Mia Kim Vig. Recorded in the mid ‘90s, the standards "Lover Come Back To Me" and "Besame Mucho" shimmer with Mr. Vig’s light, plush orchestration. The tunes are lengthy, allowing for solo explorations. Now and Then serves as an important document, like a family snapshot, that shows that this most American of art forms deftly absorbs cultural influences and traditions, transforming it into something new altogether.

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