Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists".

Early life, family and education

Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, to Henry and Olivia Jones, a musical family of 10 (an older brother was pianist Hank Jones and a younger brother was drummer Elvin Jones). A self-taught musician, Thad began performing professionally at the age of 16. He served in U.S. Army bands during World War II (1943–1946).

Jones left the Basie Orchestra in 1963 to become a freelance arranger and musician in New York City.

Jones taught at William Paterson College in New Jersey. At what is now the Thad Jones Archive site, pencil scores and vintage photos are available as part of the Living Jazz Archives.

After abruptly relocating to Copenhagen (as had several other US jazz musicians), he became the leader of The Danish Radio Big Band, Several Americans were on the album: pianist Horace Parlan, baritonist Sahib Shihab, trumpeter Tim Hagans, and trombonist/vocalist Richard B. Boone. The rest of the band comprised trombonists Bjarne Thanning and Ture Larsen, trumpeter Lars Togeby, altoists Ole Thøger and Michael Hove, tenor saxophonist Bent Jædig, and bassist Jesper Lundgaard. Jones further composed for the Danish Radio Big Band and taught jazz at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen. He studied composition formally during this period, and also took up the valve trombone.

In January 1979, Jones suddenly moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, to the great surprise of his New York bandmates. He married a Danish woman, Lis. They named their son Thaddeus Joseph William Jones (born January 4,1980).

Jones returned to the US in 1985 to lead the Count Basie Orchestra after his former leader's death.

Thad Jones Vej (Thad Jones Street) in southern Copenhagen is named for Jones.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

  • The Fabulous Thad Jones (Debut, 1954)
  • Detroit–New York Junction (Blue Note, 1956)
  • The Magnificent Thad Jones (Blue Note, 1956)
  • The Magnificent Thad Jones Vol.3 (Blue Note, 1956)
  • Mad Thad (Period, 1957)
  • Sonny Rollins Plays (Period, 1957) split album with Sonny Rollins
  • The Jones Boys (Period, 1957) with Jimmy Jones, Eddie Jones, Quincy Jones and Jo Jones
  • Olio (Prestige, 1957) <small> with Frank Wess, Teddy Charles, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins, Elvin Jones</small>
  • After Hours (Prestige, 1957) <small> with – Frank Wess, Kenny Burrell, Mal Waldron, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor</small>
  • Keepin' Up with the Joneses (MetroJazz, 1958) as The Jones Brothers with Hank Jones and Elvin Jones
  • Motor City Scene (United Artists, 1959)
  • Mean What You Say (Milestone, 1966) by the Thad Jones/Pepper Adams Quintet
  • Greetings and Salutations (Four Leaf Clover, 1977) with Mel Lewis, Jon Faddis and the Swedish Radio Jazz Group (Lennart Åberg, Arne Domnérus, Bengt Hallberg, Georg Riedel, Rune Gustafsson, ...)
  • The Thad Jones Mel Lewis Quartet (Artists House, 1978) with Mel Lewis, Harold Danko, Rufus Reid
  • Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and UMO (RCA, 1978) with Mel Lewis and UMO (the Finnish 'New Music Orchestra')
  • Live at Montmartre (Storyville, 1978) with Idrees Sulieman, Allan Botschinsky, Jesper Thilo, NHOP
  • A tribute to Monk and Bird (Tomato, 1978) with George Adams, George Lewis, Stanley Cowell, Reggie Workman, Lenny White, Heiner Stadler
  • Eclipse (Metronome, 1979) with Tim Hagans, Sahib Shihab, Horace Parlan, Jesper Lundgaard
  • Jazz Gala 79 (America, 1979) with Carmen McRae, Joe Williams, Claude Bolling, Cat Anderson – live in Midem
  • Live at Slukefter (Metronome, 1980) with Tim Hagans, Sahib Shihab, Horace Parlan, Jesper Lundgaard

With the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra

  • Presenting Thad Jones / Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra (Solid State Records, 1966)
  • Presenting Joe Williams and Thad Jones / Mel Lewis, The Jazz Orchestra (Solid State, 1966)
  • Live at the Village Vanguard (Solid State, 1967)
  • The Big Band Sound of Thad Jones/Mel Lewis featuring Miss Ruth Brown (Solid State, 1968)
  • Monday Night (Solid State, 1968) – live
  • Central Park North (Solid State, 1969)
  • Consummation (Solid State/Blue Note, 1970)
  • Live in Tokyo (Denon Jazz, 1974)
  • Potpourri (Philadelphia International, 1974)
  • Thad Jones / Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica (Pausa, 1974)
  • Suite for Pops (Horizon/A&M, 1975)
  • New Life: Dedicated to Max Gordon (A&M, 1975)
  • Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra With Rhoda Scott (Barclay, 1976) – a.k.a. Rhoda Scott in New York with...
  • Live in Munich (Horizon/A&M, 1976)
  • It Only Happens Every Time with Monica Zetterlund (EMI Records, 1978) – recorded in 1977
  • Body and Soul (West Wind Jazz, 1978) – Live in Berlin. a.k.a. Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra in Europe
  • A Touch of Class (West Wind Jazz, 1978) – Live in Warsaw
  • Basle, 1969 (TCB Music, 1996) – recorded in 1969
  • Opening Night (Alan Grant Presents, 2000) – recorded in 1966

With DR Big Band

As chief conductor

  • By Jones, I think we've got it (Metronome/Atlantic, 1978) – recorded live at Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen
  • A good time was had by all (Metronome/Storyville, 1979) – recorded live at Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen in 1978

As sideman

With Count Basie

  • Basie (Clef, 1954)
  • Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (Clef, 1955) with Joe Williams
  • April in Paris (Verve, 1956)
  • The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards with Joe Williams
  • Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956) with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams
  • Basie in London (Verve, 1956)
  • One O'Clock Jump (Verve, 1957) with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald
  • Count Basie at Newport (Verve, 1957)
  • The Atomic Mr. Basie (Roulette, 1957) – aka Basie and E=MC<sup>2</sup>
  • Basie Plays Hefti (Roulette, 1958)
  • Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1958) – with Joe Williams and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
  • Hall of Fame (Verve, 1959) – recorded in 1956
  • Basie One More Time (Roulette, 1959)
  • Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (Roulette, 1959)
  • Everyday I Have the Blues (Roulette, 1959) – with Joe Williams
  • Dance Along with Basie (Roulette, 1959)
  • Not Now, I'll Tell You When (Roulette, 1960)
  • The Count Basie Story (Roulette, 1960)
  • Kansas City Suite (Roulette, 1960)
  • The Legend (Roulette, 1961)
  • Back with Basie (Roulette, 1962)
  • Basie in Sweden (Roulette, 1962)
  • On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (Verve, 1962)
  • This Time by Basie! (Reprise, 1963)

With Bob Brookmeyer

  • Jazz Is a Kick (Mercury, 1960)
  • Back Again (Sonet, 1978)

With Kenny Burrell

  • Blues - The Common Ground (Verve, 1968) – recorded in 1967–1968
  • Ellington Is Forever (Fantasy, 1975)
  • Ellington Is Forever Volume Two (Fantasy, 1977) – recorded in 1975

With Dexter Gordon

  • Ca'Purange (Prestige, 1973) – recorded in 1972
  • Tangerine (Prestige, 1975) – recorded in 1972

With Coleman Hawkins

  • Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra (Crown, 1960)
  • The Hawk Swings (Crown, 1961) – recorded in 1960

With Elvin Jones

  • Elvin! (Riverside, 1962) – recorded in 1961–1962
  • And Then Again (Atlantic, 1965)
  • Midnight Walk (Atlantic, 1966)
  • Mr. Jones (Blue Note, 1973) – recorded in 1972

With Oliver Nelson

  • More Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse!, 1965) – recorded in 1964
  • The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)

With Shirley Scott

  • For Members Only (Impulse!, 1963)
  • Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands (Impulse!, 1966)

With Sonny Stitt

  • Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones (Roost, 1955)
  • Stitt Goes Latin (Roost, 1963)
  • Broadway Soul (Colpix, 1965)
  • Goin' Down Slow (Prestige, 1972)

With Ben Webster

  • Soulmates (with Joe Zawinul) (Riverside, 1963)
  • See You at the Fair (Impulse, 1964)

With Frank Wess

  • Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me (Prestige, 1963)
  • Opus de Blues (Savoy, 1984) – recorded in 1959

With others

  • Pepper Adams, Pepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charlie Mingus (Workshop Jazz, 1964) – recorded in 1963
  • Manny Albam, Brass on Fire (Sold State, 1966)
  • Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong and His Friends (Flying Dutchman/Amsterdam, 1971) – recorded in 1970
  • Al Cohn, Four Brass One Tenor (RCA Victor, 1955)
  • Lou Donaldson, Sassy Soul Strut (1973)
  • Kenny Drew, Lite Flite (SteepleChase, 1977)
  • Curtis Fuller, Imagination (Savoy, 1960) – recorded in 1959
  • Herbie Hancock, Speak Like a Child (Blue Note, 1968)
  • Milt Jackson, For Someone I Love (Riverside, 1963)
  • J. J. Johnson, J.J.! (RCA Victor, 1965) – recorded in 1964
  • Osie Johnson, Swingin' Sounds (Jazztone, 1955)
  • Hank Jones, Groovin' High (Muse, 1978)
  • Yusef Lateef, Yusef Lateef's Detroit (Atlantic, 1969)
  • Charles Mingus, The Jazz Experiments of Charlie Mingus (Bethlehem, 1955) – recorded in 1954
  • Billy Mitchell, A Little Juicy (Smash, 1964) – recorded in 1963
  • Thelonious Monk, 5 by Monk by 5 (Riverside, 1959)
  • James Moody, Great Day (Argo, 1963)
  • Houston Person, Houston Express (Prestige, 1971)
  • Paul Quinichette, The Kid From Denver (Dawn, 1956)
  • Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Open House! (Riverside, 1963)
  • McCoy Tyner, Today and Tomorrow (Impulse!, 1964) – recorded in 1963–1964
  • Joe Williams, At Newport '63 (RCA Victor, 1963)
  • Phil Woods, Round Trip (Verve, 1969)
  • Various Artists, Leonard Feather's West Coast Vs. East Coast Allstars -- A Battle Of Jazz (MGM, 1956)

As arranger

With Harry James

  • New Versions Of Down Beat Favorites (MGM E4265/SE4265, 1965)
  • Our Leader! (Dot DLP 3801/DLP 25801, 1967)