On February 27, 1978, Thad Jones as guest conductor rehearsed the Danish Radio Big Band in preparation for an evening performance with Dexter Gordon as guest soloist. Gordon had already moved back to the U.S. in 1976 after a long residency in Europe and signed with Columbia. His famed live Homecoming album for Columbia recorded at the Village Vanguard in December '76 had already been released in '77 to much acclaim.
But in February '78, he returned to Copenhagen to visit and to play with Jones and the orchestra. Werner Dahnz in Germany tells me the rehearsal took place there and that the concert in question was held at Danmarks Radio House in Copenhagen on Gordon's 55th birthday.
Last year, a home video surfaced of Jones leading that rehearsal on several songs. I threw it to saxophonist Bill Kirchner, who played with the band at the Vanguard. He had this to say about the pieces:
Marc, I don’t know the first piece. The second is Thank You, composed and arranged by Jerry Dodgion for the Jones/Lewis band on their New Life album. The third is Thad’s Fingers, from the Consummation album.
Likely personnel for the Danish Radio Big Band, which recorded on March 5, 1978, on By Jones, I Think We've Got It : The Danish Radio Big Band and Thad Jones: Thad Jones (cnt,cond) Palle Bolvig, Benny Rosenfeld, Idrees Sulieman, Allan Botschinsky, Perry Knudsen (tp,flhrn) Vincent Nilsson, Erling Kroner, Richard Boone, Ole Kurt Jensen (tb) Axel Windfeld (b-tb,tu) Jesper Thilo (sop,as,cl,fl) Per Carsten (as,fl,sop) Bent Jaedig (ts,fl) Uffe Karskov (ts,as,fl,cl) Flemming Madsen (bar,b-cl,cl) Ole Kock Hansen (p,el-p) Bo Sylven (g) Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (b,el-b) Bjarne Rostvold (d) Ethan Weisgard (perc,cga) and Ray Pitts (arr).
Here's the Thad Jones rehearsal and a surprise appearance at the end. Wait for it...
