Trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis formed their big band in the mid 60s, initially as an informal gathering of seasoned studio musicians, then playing regularly at the Village Vanguard and developing far beyond the traditions established by previous big bands like Duke Ellington and Count Basie, with Jones's innovative arrangements serving as an influence for virtually all big band music since. Many prominent jazz players have had tenures in the Jones / Lewis Orchestra, and the group continues as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra since the deaths of the founders (Jones in 1986, Lewis in 1990).