Various Artists: One More: Music of Thad Jones

An outstanding crop of big band leaders/composers emerged during the 1960s, including Clare Fischer, Thad Jones, Gary McFarland, Ladd McIntosh, Oliver Nelson, and other notables. Jones eventually established his preeminence, in part because he was able to keep a band together and get his music heard. Beyond that, his compositions are brilliant and drenched in the blues.

One More features tunes from the beginning and middle of Jones' career, before he turned the band over to Mel Lewis and moved to Denmark. Michael Patterson arranged and adapted the music for a medium-sized band with the Jones originals in mind. There is a balance between ensemble playing and soloing with most solos brief and apt.

This comfortable family reunion has a sense of nostalgia, but it is more than that. These musicians often played with Jones, and they bring authenticity and understanding of his music. Jimmy Owens takes two of Jones' best ballads, "Consummation and the second half of "A Child Is Born, both of which depend as much on Hank Jones' sublime accompaniment as on Owens. That Thad Jones was also a giant on flugelhorn is not lost on Owens. "A Child Is Born begins with an extended, impressionistic piano solo by Roland Hanna that recalls a memorable Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra concert I attended thirty years ago.