And Mel Lewis

Thad Jones and Mel Lewis •• Thad Jones and Mel Lewis We’re just two lucky guys As co–leaders of this band, ing for other people. We’ve—as grabbed all our friends—people we would you say it had a spe- they say. love, admire and respect as musi- cial significance at the pres- Jones: We’ve paid our dues. cians, that we like to play with. We ent time? Lewis: And we all came to New said: “Come on; you come with us, Jones: Well, there really is no par- York, settled down, and fell into the you know. ticular significance attached to the studio situation. All of a sudden Jones: But you know what? I have band, other than the fact that we just we’ve realised that life is getting to sort of embellish that. We weren’t want to play good music for people, shorter, and we never have stopped all friends, in the beginning. We and play it as well as we know how. wanting to play. were acquaintances who respected We want to present our music to the Jones: To play good—and even each other as individuals and musi- people, and we hope they enjoy it as better than good. Just to continually cians. The friendship came through much as we enjoy playing it for do better all the time, and improve our association together with our them. That would have to be it, and I upon whatever performances we’ve band. And it developed into such a m sure Mel will agree with me on given with our past associates. beautiful, strong thing. that. Lewis: Above all, we want to play; Lewis This is really a friendly band, Lewis: Yes—we’re all men that have for the rest of our lives, actually. It’s actually. Everybody’s become quite been in the music business a long something you never want to stop attached to each other. There’s no time; we’ve all been on the road doing. And the only way something separation of several guys here and with other bands, and have done a like that can be done is: somebody several guys there; everybody’s in it lot of nice things in the past, work- has to take the bull by the horns. together and sort of hangs with each That’s what Thad and I did; and we ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thad Jones—Mel Lewis Page 1 of 17 other. It’s a togetherness band. But It sounds like we’re bragging, doesn’t matter; we know it, and they’re all men. doesn’t it? we’re two of the happiest guys in the Jones: That’s first; if they weren’t Lewis: Well, we are bragging, in a world right now. men, they wouldn’t be able to per- way. Jones: We’ve both been sidemen in form the way they do on their in- Jones: Oh, these guys are so beauti- other bands for practically all of our struments, or the way they do so- ful. You wouldn’t believe it. I stand musical lives; we’ve never really cially. behind what I say: this is the most done the things that we wanted to do Lewis: We like to feel that this band beautiful bunch of men that I’ve as individuals. When you play with represents musical maturity. Each ever been associated with in my life. somebody else, you always try to fit man knows what’s happening; he’s Without a shadow of a doubt. that particular mould, to give what is paid his dues, he’s learned, and he’s Lewis: I would say the same thing. in you to give within whatever’s reached a certain point. Of course, Jones: This takes in everything that going on. I worked for that band- there’s no such thing as ever know- we’ve talked about, or want to talk leader; I gave him what he wanted. ing it all; you’re always learning. about. Everything that we want to do This is the type of attitude that I’ve But every man is a master in his own and have done. It’s fantastic. come to expect; otherwise you’ll right; he knows his job. And that’s Lewis: I don’t think any two guys never be able to give one hundred so important today. could be as lucky as Thad and I, as per cent of you. And any band must Jones Knowledge by itself is a far as having something that you can do this, in order to be an orchestra, beautiful thing, but there has to be be proud of till your dying day. The to play as one. that additional factor of accumula- kind of thing you dream about. And Lewis: What makes it nice, too, for tion. The knowledge that you have most people would never attempt it, the fellows that are with us is that means nothing unless you can con- because they’d figure: “Oh, it they do it automatically. They’re stantly add to it; otherwise it’ll stag- couldn’t happen.” But it can. We’ve conforming to us, like we always nate and just remain dormant. This proved it—to ourselves, anyway. If tried our best to please the person we is the way the guys are, in our band. somebody else doesn’t believe it, it worked for and to do what they had ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thad Jones—Mel Lewis Page 2 of 17 in mind. But to do what we have in Lewis: The same goes for Jerome, fortable for him. Every soloist in this mind isn’t taking as much effort the lead alto. They all play our way. band plays differently, as well as from the men we have in the band, Jones: These are our idols, the peo- marvellously, and in our back- because we know that they happen ple we’ve wanted to hear work to- grounds we get into different to do these things In other words, gether as soloists and section–men grooves behind the various guys. they’re doing what they really want for all these years. And Thad is part of our rhythm sec- to do. So they don’t have to bend Lewis And they in turn are playing, tion, too. You know, he conducts the that far—or to bend at all, actually. in the kind of music that Thad rhythm section in such a way, when Jones: Every concept that we have writes, just what they like most. he hears some patterns that’ll fit in mind fits them as individuals, and Jones: Yet I never write anything to beautifully behind what a guy is also as people that play collectively fit any particular person. All they do playing, he’ll signal; so the three of as sections. We’re very compatible. is interpret the music their way, and us just open up our eyes and watch Lewis: Like our lead trumpet; their way will fit the concept of the him. Oh, sometimes we get all Snooky’s a founder member. He’s band. Whatever they want to play is messed up, and we laugh. We have our man. beautiful. If the adjustment must be so much fun, just trying to come up Jones: He’s only the greatest first made on the rest of the band’s parts, with something new each time, trumpet player in the world. then that will be made. Or if the so- that’ll give the soloist a good boot Lewis: But he already plays the way loist’s part must be adjusted, that just at the right time. we want. He doesn’t have to try to will be done. With no sweat. It’s as No arrangement is ever the same play that way; he’s our favourite. easy as that. That’s what I mean by twice; it’s a different version every And Al is the greatest back–up man compatibility. time we play it. for Snooky; you couldn’t want a Lewis: As you’ve probably noticed, Jones That s the beauty of the better one. the rhythm section adjusts to each whole thing, because we don’t have Jones: You couldn’t find better. soloist. We never do anything be- to do it the same way every time. hind anybody that would be uncom- We can always change it, because ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thad Jones—Mel Lewis Page 3 of 17 Mel is such a superb musician. As a So you’d say that the band doesn’t necessarily have to be a drummer, he’s a horn player and a constitutes a fruition of all touring band, although it is at the section player, in that he knows how our earlier experiences. As moment. Most of the year it isn’t— to construct, to form and to mould well as knowing how to run but we’d love it to be. I love travel, things into a pattern. And this is so a band, you know how not to and I think a band really gets itself helpful in what I m trying to do out run a band. together on the road. there. In fact, we sort of give each Jones: Well, we haven’t turned our Lewis: But I’ve got to emphasise other little eye signals. He’ll drop an back on anything. one thing here. We are not a re- eye on me every now and then, and I Lewis: We re learning all the time, hearsal band.

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