The Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was an American jazz big band formed in 1978 when trumpeter Thad Jones suddenly moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, and left The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. Following the death of Lewis in 1990, it has been known as The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. They have maintained a Monday-night residency at the Village Vanguard jazz club in New York for five decades. Read more on Last.fm