1968 · Album
Presenting Joe Williams and Thad Jones / Mel Lewis: The Jazz Orchestra
Recorded 1968 · Solid State Records
Joe Williams Joins the Big Band Sound
Williams brings his distinctive warmth to Thad Jones and Mel Lewis's sharp, modern big band.
By 1968, Joe Williams had spent decades as a vocalist in small groups and with Count Basie's orchestra, but this album marks something different: a full collaboration with the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, one of the most vital big bands of the decade. It's neither a departure nor a return — more like Williams finding his place in a contemporary ensemble that valued precision and edge as much as swing.
Thad Jones and Mel Lewis had built their orchestra on tight arrangements and fleet ensemble work, and Williams fits naturally into that aesthetic. The band — featuring Pepper Adams, Eddie Daniels, and Jerome Richardson on saxophones, with Bill Berry, Jimmy Nottingham, Richard Williams, and Snooky Young on trumpets, and Bob Brookmeyer, Garnett Brown, Cliff Heather, and Tom McIntosh on trombones — moves with controlled energy behind his voice. Richard Davis on bass and Sir Roland Hanna on piano anchor tracks that let Williams do what he does best: phrase with clarity and emotional directness, without oversinging.
This is not Williams at his most celebrated — that belongs to his Basie years — but it's a solid late-career statement that shows his voice still carries authority in a modern context. The orchestra gives him space, and he gives them warmth they might not reach alone.
Who's playing
Richard Davisbass
“Sir” Roland Hannapiano
Sam Hermanguitar
Pepper Adamssaxophone
Eddie Danielssaxophone
Jerry Dodgionsaxophone
Joe Farrellsaxophone
Jerome Richardsonsaxophone
Bill Berrytrumpet
Jimmy Nottinghamtrumpet
Richard Williamstrumpet
Snooky Youngtrumpet
Bob Brookmeyertrombone
Garnett Browntrombone
Cliff Heathertrombone
Tom McIntoshtrombone
Mel Lewisdrums
Thad Jonesflugelhorn
