A classic set recorded for Milestone and reissued under the OJC imprint, this date is co-led by
Thad Jones (heard throughout on flügelhorn) and baritonist
Pepper Adams; pianist
Duke Pearson, bassist
Ron Carter, and drummer
Mel Lewis complete the band. The high-quality hard bop unit performs four of
Jones' originals, a song apiece by
Carter and
Pearson, and
Burt Bacharach's "Wives and Lovers" and "Yes Sir, That's My Baby."
Jones and
Adams always made for a potent team, but the rise of
the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra meant that this particular quintet only lasted a short time. ~ Scott Yanow