The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, which is in permanent residence at William Paterson University, won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble for its critically acclaimed recording Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard.

The Orchestra plays an active role in the University’s Jazz Studies Program as an artist–in-residence, presenting concerts, workshops, and master classes. Several Orchestra members, including trombonist John Mosca, pianist and composer Jim McNeely, and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, are members of the jazz adjunct faculty, and two members, drummer John Riley, and baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan, have taught in the program.

In addition, the University is the repository of the Thad Jones Archive, a collection of original pen and ink scores used by the Vanguard Orchestra for more than 30 years since they were written and arranged by the orchestra’s co-founder Thad Jones, who was also one of the founders of the University's Jazz Studies Program. Jones was the first full-time jazz faculty member at William Paterson and served as director from 1972 to 1979.

“All of us in the Jazz Program are so thrilled and happy for all the members of the Vanguard Orchestra, particularly for our present and former faculty members who are longtime members,” says David Demsey, professor of music and coordinator of jazz studies. “We are very proud to have a long-standing relationship with such a wonderful organization in the Vanguard Orchestra, starting all the way back to our shared origins and our mutual founding director, Thad Jones. That continues to our current collaboration on the Thad Jones Archive, and their ongoing concerts here on campus. This Grammy Award shows the world what we have always known: that this is one of the great jazz groups that deserves its place in the history of the music.”