Thad Jones Influence On Basie

This historic arrangement was one of “the original seven” that formed the repertoire of the original Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. In the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra band folders, Big Dipper is to this day #4 in the book. This new edition is taken directly from the original ink parts that were on the stands at the band’s debut performance in February 1966, now housed in the Thad Jones Archive at William Paterson University, where Thad served as Founding Director of Jazz Studies.

These original seven charts were commissioned by Count Basie for an entire album of Thad Jones’ music – but Thad’s voicings and ideas were “modern” enough to Basie’s ears that he never made the record, instead suggesting that Thad start his own band. The rest is history! Nevertheless, Big Dipper still maintains that swinging Basie mindset, and should be rehearsed that way. Its basic foundations are a relaxed but powerful rhythm section with a driving ride cymbal beat and crisp hi-hat, underpinning saxes and brass that are tight, and always on the back of the beat. The saxes and brass play their upbeats as late as possible, locking in with the tight ride cymbal skip beat. A great description of the Basie time concept comes from the legendary Basie alumnus Frank Wess, who once said, “That accent is not on the upbeat of four, it’s just before one!”
Big Dipper is an extended 16-bar blues.
The first ten measures of every chorus are normal blues changes, with what at first sounds like a V-IV-I cadence in mm. 9-10 – but, instead of going to the I chord in m. 11, Thad continues down by whole-steps to a bIII7, then uses a gospel-like cycle-of-fifths progression to end each
chorus.

As with many Basie arrangements, a number of key stylistic elements are not printed on the original chart. The rehearsal comments below are taken from recorded performances of the original recording by the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, and from later recordings and performances by the Vanguard Orchestra. This arrangement can be performed at the deepest level when band members are hearing these great recordings in their minds as they play.

- The brass play the one-time theme in octaves at Letter B. Give these lines shape by emphasizing the high notes in each phrase, and “ghosting” or de-emphasizing the lower notes. Seven measures after B, all three quarter notes are short. In the ninth measure, beat one is quiet, with an “oo-what!” crescendo to beat 2. The downbeat of m.10 beat 4, and the downbeats of m. 11 beats 1 and 2 are all marcato.

- The shout choruses that happen at Letters C and F are identical, each with a lot of dynamic details. Measure 1, beat 2 is forte, then subito piano on beat 3; beat 1 should be left silent – no drum fill, for maximum contrast. There is a big crescendo in m. 3, a fortepiano/crescendo in m. 5, and another crescendo on the half note in m. 6. On beat 1 of mm. 9, 10, and 11, despite the fact that the short note of the triplet comes first, Thad’s band never performed it as written; the triplets are always played as a quarter-eighth. There is a space (not a breath) after the half note in m. 13, then another space after the dotted quarter in m. 14; the same spacing happens in mm. 15-16.

- The trumpet solo is open for repeats at Letter D, then builds through Letter E. Let that build to a crescendo to Letter F, but again leave the downbeat of F silent.

- In the transition at Letter I to the D.S., mm. 3-4 should be subito piano, mm. 5-6 strong, and mm. 7-8 screaming! Letter J can be a four-bar decrescendo back to the silent first beat of the D.S.

- On the Coda, four and three measures from the end are again separated as at four before Letter D.