Jazz Articles about Mel Lewis

Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra: Consummation

by Jack Bowers
June 1, 2002

This charming reissue from 1970 makes it even harder to accept the fact that Thad and Mel are no longer with us. Thank goodness we have such glorious music to remember them by. All of the compositions and arrangements are Jones,' and each one is an unpretentious classic of its kind. The orchestra itself is beyond reproach, with sharp and explosive brass and reeds complementing its unrivaled rhythm section (Lewis, pianist Roland Hanna, bassist Richard Davis). There's less ...