Of the long list of brilliant jazz composer/arrangers, few can claim to have as much of a long-running impact as Thaddeus Joseph Jones. Through his contributions to the world of big band jazz as both a trumpeter and arranger, Jones' legacy continues to shine through to this day. Both his writing and playing can be described as nothing short of thrilling, with ample use of rhythmically and harmonically offbeat melodies, an abundant use of dissonance, and a relentless feeling of unpredictability that continues to withstand the test of time.

Born in Pontiac, Michigan on March 28, 1923, Jones seemed almost destined for a career in music. His older brother, pianist Hank, and younger brother, drummer Elvin, would go on to have long and illustrious careers of their own. Jones picked up a trumpet for the first time in his early teens after being exposed to the music of Louis Armstrong. Largely self-taught as both an instrumentalist and arranger, Jones believed his lack of formal education was a key component to the development of his unmistakably unique sound.

Jones' musical career began to take off upon leaving the military at the end of World War II. Returning to Detroit, Jones and tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell co-led a quintet at the Blue Bird Inn that featured several of the area's top musicians. It was during this time that Jones began to catch the ears of a number of the prominent New York based musicians passing through the area. These included fellow trumpeter Miles Davis (whose notoriously harsh criticisms were nowhere to be found when speaking of Jones), bassist Charles Mingus (who described Jones as being like "[Hungarian composer Bela] Bartok with valves") and saxophonist Frank Wess.

It was Wess' recommendation that led to Jones' hiring by legendary bandleader Count Basie in 1954, with whom he would remain for nearly a decade. During this time, Jones' most famous contribution would be his famous "Pop Goes The Weasel" solo on the band's hit 1957 version of "April In Paris," but his highly unique arrangements began to attract just as much attention from his fellow musicians. From the beginning, Jones' charts already stood out from those of his peers with their liberal incorporation of quirky melody lines, complex rhythms and dense harmonies.

Working as a freelance trumpeter and arranger after departing the Basie band in 1963, Jones would be commissioned to write an album of arrangements for his former boss in 1965. These arrangements proved to be, depending on who you ask, either too modern or too difficult for the Basie band to tackle. Rather than letting these charts go to waste, Jones called up an acquaintance, drummer Mel Lewis, about setting up a rehearsal band to read through them, as well as other additional arrangements he was working on at the time. Bringing together a mix of some of New York's top soloists and studio musicians, the seeds of what would become the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra were sewn.

As the band began to develop a reputation, Jones and Lewis managed to parlay this word-of-mouth into an informal agreement with Max Gordon, the owner of a club in New York's Greenwich Village known as the Village Vanguard. On February 7, 1966, the band made its public debut. To the surprise of nearly everyone, the band was an immediate success, drawing a large and highly enthusiastic listener base. The band would continue to thrive, eventually expanding its ranks to include several notable young musicians such as trumpeter Jon Faddis, saxophonist Dick Oatts, pianist Harold Danko and bassist George Mraz. It was also during this time that Jones became actively involved in education as a member of the faculty of William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, as well as the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

Despite this continued success, Jones' career took an abrupt swerve in January 1979. Having started a musical relationship with the Danish Radio Orchestra two years earlier, Jones suddenly and without warning moved his base of operations to Denmark full time, leaving Lewis full control of the band he had helped make an institution. Although a lip injury would impose limits on his trumpet playing, Jones' arranging chops were still operating at full strength. His writing during this period began to display an even greater depth and a surprising warmth that was not as present in some of his earlier works.

Jones' final years brought him full circle as he return to the United States in 1985 to take over the Count Basie Orchestra after his former boss's passing. This return would be short-lived, as Jones would be forced to retire within months due to failing health. Returning to Copenhagen, Jones would pass away from cancer on August 20, 1986. His legacy as an arranger and trumpeter are unquestioned, and the spirit of the Jones-Lewis Orchestra continues to live on through the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, which still performs each Monday night at the Village Vanguard over 50 years after its humble beginnings.