Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Orchestra - All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Village Vanguard Recordings (2016)

All My Yesterdays is the first official release of the opening night recordings of the mighty Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the legendary Village Vanguard in NYC on February 7, 1966 endorsed by the estates of Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and the Village Vanguard. This deluxe 2-CD set also includes recordings from March 21, 1966, many of which have never been released before (although some of the recordings were unofficially exploited via a limited bootleg in 2000), and comes with an expansive 92-page book providing rare, previously unpublished photos, historic essays, interviews and memoirs. Contributors include executive producer George Klabin who recorded the original tapes, producer Zev Feldman, associate producer Chris Smith (author of The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis), longtime Vanguard Jazz Orchestra arranger and pianist Jim McNeely, and trombonist/educator John Mosca. All of the living musicians who played on these recordings contributed to the notes, recounting their personal experiences of the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra. Included are accounts from saxophonists Jerry Dodgion, Eddie Daniels and Marv "Doc" Holladay, trumpeter Jimmy Owens, trombonists Garnett Brown and Tom Macintosh, along with bassist Richard Davis. The pages display rare photos by Chuck Stewart, Raymond Ross, Ray Avery and Jan Persson.

The legendary opening night performance on February 7, 1966 launched a tradition of successive Monday night appearances by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra that lasted twelve years and continues to this day through the dedication of the band's musical heir, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. This combined 50-year residency at the Village Vanguard will be celebrated by the release of this album, and will hopefully live on another 50 years!