There’s something poetic about hearing “My Centennial” roar to life in 2024, nearly six decades after Thad Jones and Mel Lewis first tested their big-band experiment on a chilly February night at Village Vanguard. What started as three trial gigs has grown into a jazz institution, and with this single, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra cements their status as guardians of a legacy that refuses to gather dust.
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“My Centennial” isn’t just a tune, it’s a time capsule cracked wide open. Jones wrote it in the 1980s, far from his actual 100th birthday, yet the spirit of celebration and self-mythologizing baked into its bones now hits harder than ever. The arrangement feels like a living organism: brassy bursts, rippling reeds, and rhythmic swells that build and recede like breath. Every section knows exactly when to shout and when to whisper.
Trumpeter Scott Wendholt fires off lines that dance on the edge of chaos without ever losing their cool, while Gary Smulyan brings that unmistakable baritone swagger, punchy, grounded, and sly. John Riley drives it all with his trademark elasticity, tugging the beat just enough to make your shoulders sway. It’s a performance that feels simultaneously precise and unruly, which is basically the definition of great big-band jazz.
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What’s most striking, though, is how alive it all feels. This isn’t a museum piece, despite the centennial framing. It’s current, thrilling, and full of the same daring energy that convinced Max Gordon to keep the band around back in ’66. The VJO isn’t just honoring Thad Jones, they’re proving his music still kicks down doors.
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