Brad Mehldau Trio

“Mr. Mehldau — tracing connections, making digressions, but never quite forsaking the original framework — sounds both grounded and almost boundless

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The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra began its life as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1966.The world-famous Village Vanguard jazz club in New York City booked the newly formed band for three Monday nights that February. Those performances were wildly successful and the engagement was extended indefinitely. The Village Vanguard’s owner, Max Gordon, told Mel Lewis, “We’ll keep it going until it tapers off.” Over half a century and more than 2700 Monday nights later, it still hasn’t. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra stands apart from all other modern ensembles of its kind and is still as strong and vital as ever.

“The titan among us

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A drummer around whom a cult of admiration has formed.

“Douglas remains, after nearly 30 years as a leader, startlingly inventive and endlessly versatile as a player and composer.

“Though less conspicuous than he was a few decades ago—is there anyone who’s actually made their way through the relentless tsunami of recordings that Murray appeared on in the eighties and nineties?—the fire-breathing saxophonist and bass-clarinet player remains a force to be reckoned with.

“...Akinmusire is one of the most acclaimed jazz artists of his generation, a trumpeter of deep expressive resources and a composer of kaleidoscopic vision.

“Changes come and go in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood, but the basement club occupying 178 Seventh Avenue South since 1935 remains a stable and revered New York City landmark.