Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986 Pontiac, MI) was an American jazztrumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called “one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists”. Jones left the Basie Orchestra in 1963 to become a freelance arranger and musician in New York City. In 1965, he and drummer Mel Lewis formed the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. The group started with informal late-night jam sessions among New York City’s top studio musicians. They began performing at the Village Vanguard in February 1966, to wide acclaim, and continued with Jones in the lead for 12 years. They won a 1978 Grammy Award for their album Live in Munich.