Sean Nelson, New London Big Band - Don't Stop Now (2025) MP3

Before anything else, understand this: Thad Jones was a genius. Composer, arranger, trumpeter, bandleader his work operates on multiple frequencies. Yes, there’s dazzling complexity: his intricate voicings, unpredictable melodic shapes, the sheer technical demands placed on the orchestra. But beyond the intellect, his music pulses with something rawer; a blues-fired energy, an unstoppable swing, always in motion. That duality is what gives it life. Whether he was writing for Count Basie in the ’50s, co-leading the legendary Thad Jones; Mel Lewis Orchestra from 1966 to 1978, or shaping his later European projects, Thad’s voice remained unmistakably his own.

And what’s striking here is how current that voice still sounds. These pieces, some lost to time until now, ring out with astonishing modernity. Their harmonic architecture feels ageless. The textures; brass, strings, percussion; invite a kind of active listening, a deep engagement. Trombonist and composer Sean Nelson approaches Jones’s music with both reverence and vision. It’s his intelligent, finely tuned arrangements that breathe new urgency into these works.

Enter the New London Big Band: seventeen first-rate musicians from across New England, known for mixing jazz classics, high-octane dance tunes, and original compositions by its own members. Since 2016, they’ve packed out monthly shows at the Social Bar + Kitchen in New London, drawing everyone from swing dancers to seasoned jazz heads. They don’t just play; they connect.

This album makes one thing clear: these players aren’t here to prove anything. They embody this music. You can hear the joy, the respect, the sheer craft in every bar. It’s not nostalgia; it’s resurrection. And it swings. As The Day of New London put it, they’re “a dazzling ensemble celebrating the grandeur of the genre with exuberance.” Their following is loyal, and rightly so: they were named Best Jazz Group in the Best of Hartford awards by CTNOW.

What’s remarkable is how natural it all feels. Drawing on the past, they don’t merely pay tribute; hey revive these works with intelligence and soul. Every player brings something of themselves. There’s groove, there’s grace, and above all, there’s culture. You feel it.

Sean Nelson; Dallas-born, now Connecticut-based; is no stranger to excellence. With degrees from Sam Houston State and the University of North Texas, he’s played with the elite One O’Clock Lab Band, sung with Jazz Singers I, and won top honors with his trombone quartet. He’s toured the seas with Princess and Cunard cruise orchestras. He’s done the work and it shows.

This album isn’t just a document. It’s a statement. Accessible, joyful, and full of substance. Music for everyone but made with the highest musical integrity.