BST 84346

Thad Jones/Mel Lewis - Consummation

Released - 1970

Recording and Session Information

A&R Studios, NYC, January 20, 1970
Danny Moore, Al Porcino, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young, trumpet; Thad Jones, flugelhorn, arranger; Eddie Bert, Jimmy Knepper, Benny Powell, trombone; Cliff Heather, bass trombone; Dick Berg, Jim Buffington, Earl Chapin, Julius Watkins, French horn; Howard Johnson, tuba; Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson, alto sax; Eddie Daniels, Billy Harper, tenor sax; Richie Kamuca, baritone sax; Roland Hanna, piano, electric piano; Richard Davis, bass, electric bass; Mel Lewis, drums.

5854 (tk.8) Dedication
5861 (tk.14) Consummation

A&R Studios, NYC, January 21, 1970
omit Berg, Buffington, Chapin, Watkins, Johnson.

5855 (tk.7) It Only Happens Every Time
5856 (tk.11) Tiptoe

A&R Studios, NYC, January 28, 1970
Joe Farrell, baritone sax; replaces Kamuca.

5860 (tk.8) Fingers

A&R Studios, NYC, May 25, 1970
Danny Moore, Al Porcino, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young, trumpet; Thad Jones, flugelhorn, arranger; Eddie Bert, Jimmy Knepper, Benny Powell, trombone; Cliff Heather, bass trombone; Howard Johnson, tuba; Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson, alto sax; Eddie Daniels, Billy Harper, tenor sax; Pepper Adams, baritone sax; Roland Hanna, piano, electric piano; David Spinozza, guitar #1,3; Richard Davis, bass, electric bass; Mel Lewis, drums.

5858 (tk.18) Us
5857 (tk.1) A Child Is Born
5859 (tk.8) Ahunk Ahunk

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Dedication	Thad Jones	January 20 1970
It Only Happens Every Time	Thad Jones	January 21 1970
Tiptoe	Thad Jones	January 21 1970
A Child Is Born	Thad Jones	May 25 1970
Us	Thad Jones	May 25 1970
Side Two
Ahunk Ahunk	Thad Jones	May 25 1970
Fingers	Thad Jones	January 28 1970
Consummation	Thad Jones	January 20 1970

Liner Notes

SIDE ONE

DEDICATION
Let's just say if you're wondering who this composition is dedicated to, it's all of you. It starts with Richard Davis' beautiful bass on a D & E flat for a few bars into some harmonics just before Thad enters with the melody. It keeps getting prettier and prettier as the horns enter followed by woodwinds. The long build reminds one of a city being constructed from the ground up and when the trumpets enter announcing, "come and see, it's all finished," everybody jumps up and cheers. Then the celebration begins with full band blowing and Mayor Jerome Richardson giving his speech with some more cheers from the brass. Then Snooky Young leads his brass section through a lively dance chorus with everyone finally joining in and then—quiet. Everyone's tired and happy and Thad again says how beautiful it all was.

IT ONLY HAPPENS EVERY TIME
This is a bossa-nova rhythm tune featuring some lovely woodwind work and dynamics by the whole ensemble that sort of gives you that old romance feeling. Marvin Stamm's harmon-muted trumpet and Jerome Richardson's flute state the melody, then Marvin solos around the whole thing for the rest of the chorus. There are no French horns, but the way Thad voices the woodwinds and trombones you could swear you hear them. Then Roland Hanna comes in and just plays the way he is, a beautiful person. When the ensemble comes back in there are those dynamics again. Soft, a little louder, a little softer and finally Snooky plays the open melody solo and Marvin with his harmon mute plays around him up through the last chord.

TIPTOE
The piece opens with a stealthy, cat-like chorus by the reed section. Then Snooky Young is in with 32 bars of tasty, but forceful muted trumpet that floats gracefully over the sax background. The fun really begins as all the bones and the bass state the message in a long, complex unison line that barks and bites in a most joyful manner. Then school opens with a question and answer period as performed by Mel and the ensemble. The questions Prof. Lewis presents to the ensemble are difficult but the answers are to his liking for all is resolved beautifully. Jerry Dodgion is in for two choruses with the band in the background on the second chorus, and the 'Deacon' tells it like it is. Underneath everything are the great flowing lines of the rhythm section. Jerry is followed by one of the greatest ensemble performances we've ever heard on or off record with special mention to Marvin Stamm (first trumpet), the rhythm section with those wonderful fills supplied by Roland Hanna and the fantastic rapport between Mel and Richard. The reeds then re-state the melody that fades into a trombone ending.

A CHILD IS BORN
We feel that this piece should be played while every child is being born; we'd have some better people in this world for it. Roland's simple playing of the melody sets up the entrance of Thad's fluegelhorn on a second statement of the theme. Mel: "I don't know anyone who can play a ballad prettier than Thad can. His tone and feeling for something beautiful is beyond imagination. Never a lot of meaningless notes. Just the necessary ones. I guess that's why the guys in the trumpet section are always muttering things like, 'um-mm', or 'cut that out Thad, that's too pretty.' Then I could go on for hours about his jazz playing but I'll leave that to the jazz writers. They know and so do the listeners. Back to the music, which he wrote." The flute section comes in with some more melody in unison backed with muted brass and it builds again, dynamics all over the place down to the end where the little slap on the backside is placed by the trombones. A beautiful moment in life. A child was born.

US
The piece is concerned exclusively with ensemble, particularly the brass, although there are about four bars of Jerome Richardson on soprano sax at the beginning. The brass establishes the motif on the introduction with saxes alternating harmony and unison passages. Then Snooky Young (sometimes known as the "General") leads the brass section on an unaccompanied exploration to be joined briefly by the reeds and rhythm on the end of the chorus. Richard Davis establishes the basic rhythmic pattern, followed by Dave Spinoza on guitar, and Mel and Roland make it complete. Then begins a round on 8-bar phrases starting with the trombones on the melody. Trumpets pick up the melody on the second chorus and the bones play background. Then the trumpets and bones play the melody as the reeds play the obbligato. Now the band comes on full force as the brass states the melody in harmony as the reeds revert to a unison line for two choruses. Thad: "Mel shows once again why he's the greatest big band drummer around as he drives the band and the rhythm section with his own brand of vibrant controlled power." Snooky brings the brass back in to re-state the original theme and the piece ends in an anticipated chord.

SIDE TWO

AHUNK AHUNK
AHUNK AHIJNK could be called AFUNK AFUNK. That's the groove—funk in 5/4 time. Roland's got it for 3 choruses of blues on electric piano along with Richard on electric bass and David Spinoza's guitar and Mel's stuffed drums (for that sound). But dig Roland underneath the trombone section on their first chorus before the trumpets enter with the melody. Soulful! Then another chorus with everyone doing something different. After a full ensemble comes Eddie Daniels' tenor for three wildly building choruses followed by another three by Marvin Stamm. Both these young musicians are a real asset to our band—great soloists and section men. Then back to Roland for another slightly chaotic chorus where we get a little confused. But it all comes back together in time for the big shout with Snooky on top and everybody on top. You know 5/4 is not easy no matter how you look at it. Back to a short vamp by the reeds and Roland again. AHUNK AHIJNK again for two and a long vamp out with a strong "butitdot" on the end. We made this in one take by the way.

FINGERS
The title suggests a type of dexterity. The opening line is played at a very brisk tempo by the trumpets, two flutes, piccolo, clarinet and tenor sax. Benny Powell comes on next for four excitingly raucous choruses with saxophone backgrounds on the second and fourth choruses. Roland enters in his puckish way for one chorus and he sets the mood for the next four choruses played by Danny Moore, who in our estimation is one of the most underrated trumpet players in the country. Danny shows you his greatness on the next four choruses with the reeds backing him on the second and fourth choruses. Back to Roland once again who seems to thrive on fast tempos and is never at a loss for ideas. He builds up to six of the most exciting choruses ever put on record, which are played by the newest member of our band, Billy Harper. Billy slashes and drives constantly. He's like the championship ballplayer who always comes up with the big play. He's supported here by the bones on his second chorus, the trumpets on the fourth chorus, and the full brass section on the sixth. During all the solos, the rhythm section is constantly swinging with no let down, proof that this is the greatest rhythm section in the business. After Billy, Roland comes on once more with some typical Roland Hanna style piano—which is to say it's just great. Jerome Richardson corrals the reed section and takes it on a brilliant jaunt of 32 bars that proves his rating as the "strawboss." Exhibiting masterful control and conception, he leads his reed section right up to Richard Davis' door and Richard proceeds to walk you right in for one chorus. A spirited ensemble chorus follows Richard that embodies everything you'd want in an ensemble. The sound, power, precision and rapport are positively fantastic on this chorus. A short tag follows that leads into a beautifully constructed drum solo. Three band licks some more of Mel and a closing chord that wraps it up.

CONSUMMATION
The muted sound of french horns, tuba and lyrical piano opens this piece. The melody is played by Thad on fluegelhorn over a background first supplied by the french horns, tuba and trombones and then the woodwinds. French horns take the lead supported by the bones in the bridge then the full power of the band is brought into play as the ensemble takes over to finish out the chorus. Snooky Young's lead trumpet can't be praised too highly here. There is a brief interlude that leads to the beautiful pianistic talents of Roland Hanna, who uses fully his musical powers of suggestion and understatement in a solo of classic dimensions. In the bridge it's Roland with muted trumpets, french horns and bones with the reeds using the single line for color. And once again the full band is ensemble in a glorious expression of sound and force to take the piece to its conclusion, where the french horns and tuba once again state the format and Roland supplies the very tender salutations.

Notes by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis
PRODUCED BY SONNY LESTER