Great early work from Quincy Jones – 2 ABC big band sessions, back to back on one CD! First up is This Is How I Feel About Jazz – a set that has Jones working in some of his hippest settings of the 50s – scoring longish versions of jazz tunes for groups that include players like Lucky Thompson, Art Farmer, Gene Quill, Charles Mingus, Phil Woods, and Hank Jones. There's a sublime 10 minute version of "Walkin" that kicks off the album with a great soulful groove – plus original tunes "Evening In Paris", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Boo's Blues", as well as a version of Cannonball Adderley's "Sermonette". Next up is Go West – a set in which Quincy turns his arranging style to a band filled with West Coast players – getting them to groove a lot more than you'd expect! Players include Herb Geller, Art Pepper, Charlie Mariano, Bill Perkins, and Walter Benton. The tracks are short, with tight solo space, and most of them were written and arranged by West Coasters like Jimmy Giuffre, Lennie Niehaus, and Johnny Mandel. Titles include "Be My Guest", "London Derriere", "Kings Road Blues", "The Oom Is Blues", and "Bright Moon". CD

An unusual Japanese-only live album from Quincy Jones – with vocals by Patti Austin and James Ingram – plus harmonica from Toots Thielemans, keyboards from Greg Phillinganes and Rod Temperton, and backings from the Japanese Sharps and Flats group of Nobuo Hara! Includes versions of "Ironsides", "Just Once", "Manteca", "Razzamatazz", "Bluesett", "Stuff Like That", and "Ai No Corrida". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great, oft-overlooked album from the best period of Quincy Jones! This album is quite possibly Quincy's most farthest-reaching – as he works in an array of styles that really shows his growing genius in the studio – not just jazz and soundtrack modes, but more soul-based ones, handled with work from a great array of guest stars who really expand the sound. There's loads of nice bits – like a version of "My Cherie Amour", done with vocals by Leon Ware and Minnie Riperton; a new take on "Bluesette", redone with Toots Thielemans; and the original "Beautiful Black Girl", which features rapping by The Watts Prophets! Other tracks include "Paranoid", "Cry Baby", "Tryin To Find Out About You", and "Listen (What It Is)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of 70s electric work from Quincy – and probably his funkiest album ever! Quincy's really stepping out here from the straighter and spacier styles of earlier records – going for more of the dirty grooves he was cutting up for soundtrack albums, and hitting notes that were a lot more fitting for the blacksploitation era. The record includes the massive funky track cut "Hikky-Burr", which was the theme to the first Bill Cosby Show, and which has a sinister groove, and some wild shouted lyrics! Also features two more great themes – "Ironside" and "The Anderson Tapes" – both of which have a cool electric sound to them, and the nice title cut, which actually features Quincy on vocals! Other tracks include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "What's Going On", "Brown Ballad" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The Dude at the height of his powers – serving up a smooth blend of soul and jazz that set the standard for an entire generation! As with some of his other 70s albums, Quincy's working here with a host of great talents that make the record sizzle – guests that include Hubert Laws, Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin, Luther Vandross, Gwen Guthrie, Eric Gale, and others – all of whom put their egos aside, and bring their best bits to the table working under Quincy's guidance! The album includes a great version of "Superwoman", plus the tracks "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", "Love Me By Name", and "Love, I Never Had it So Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky Q for the 70s – easily one of the coolest albums ever from Quincy Jones! The album's got a very heavy electric vibe – one that's kind of a laidback take on the styles that Jones was forging in some of his 70s soundtrack work – served up with massive work on the keyboards from Dave Grusin and Bob James, the latter of whom brings some of his own CTI vibe strongly into play! The basslines are great too – often dipping, stepping, and turning wonderfully – keeping things laidback and mellow, but always making for some sort of a groove, even on the slower tracks too. There's just a bit of vocals on the record – handled by Valerie Simpson on two tracks, and Quincy on another – but the main focus here is on the instrumentation, which is completely sublime. Titles include Quincy's great remake of "Summer In The City", an oft-sought sample track – plus versions of "Superstition", "Daydreaming", and "You've Got It Bad Girl" – and the great originals "Chump Change", "Love Theme From The Getaway", "Eyes Of Love", and "Sanford & Son Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard swinging big band material from Sweden – a great little set that features the big band of Harry Arnold arranged by Quincy Jones! Quincy was spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s – bringing with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene – the biggest of whom was Benny Bailey, who plays some good solos here with a mostly-Swedish group that includes Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberg, Ake Persson, and Bengt-Arne Wallin. The style of the work, and its trans-Atlantic jazz orientation, is a direct precursor of later work by the Clarke-Boland Big Band – of whom Bailey was a big part – and the titles all swing nicely, with plenty of room for breakout solos! Titles include "The Midnight Sun Never Sets", "Doodlin", "Room 608", "Quincy's Home Again", "Brief Encounter", and "Meet Benny Bailey". LP, Vinyl record album

Really great material from Andy Williams – some of the grooviest sounds we've ever heard from the singer, thanks to backings from Quincy Jones! The set features live sides cut for the Let's Go To Town show issued for radio by the National Guard – and the album's got a similar feel to the great Williams/Jones album on Cadence from the same time, but with a vibe that's even more jazz-based overall! Andy's a hell of a singer in the right setting – and this album's even more sublime than his studio album with Quincy – as it offers up a fair bit of instrumental tracks from Jones' great ensemble of the time, which means even more great work on some of the solo passages. Dave Grusin plays piano on a few tracks, too – and titles include "Pleasingly Plump", "Gwan Train", "Boum", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Domino", "Air Mail Special", "Lester Leaps In", "Mademoiselle De Paris", and "Clap Yo Hands/I Won't Dance". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A rare groover from the team of Ray Brown and Quincy Jones – a smoking little set that completely revises the music for The Adventurers! The original score for the film featured tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, played by Deodato – a great combination at the time, but completely different than the heavy funk laid out here by Ray and Quincy! The pair really cook things up strongly here – hitting some of the best funky vibes you'd hear on Quincy Jones scores from the late 60s and early 70s – or some of Ray Brown's funkiest jazz sessions of the time. Brown leads the band, and the set's produced by Quincy – who also arranged some tracks – with help from JJ Johnson, Tom Scott, and Jimmy Jones too. Titles include "Fat Cat Strut", "Polo Pony", "El Lobo's Marc", "Wishful Thinking", "Love Theme From The Adventurers", and "Go Down Dying". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Perhaps THE greatest Quincy Jones album of the 60s – a hard-swinging batch of big band bossa tunes – and one of the greatest American takes on the bossa sound ever! Quincy really brings a lot of soul to the set – syncopating the bottom end of the tunes to really bring out the rhythms, and working with a jazzy flourish of horns that creates all these quick and clever little turns in the tunes! The sound's been heard most famously on the incredible track "Soul Bossa Nova" – an original by Quincy for the set, which has gone onto much greater fame through its use in the film Austin Powers, and a bazillion TV commercials! But the whole album's great too – and other tracks include "Serenata", "Lalo Bossa Nova", "Boogie Bossa Nova", and "Chega De Saudade". CD

We've never seen an original pressing of "Volume 2" of this LP, so we're assuming this is a Japanese-only vinyl issue of outtakes from those sessions. The original side's a very swingin', very groovy early album from Quincy – a big band recording, but handled with soulful touches that really set it apart from the genre! The band is a great one all the way through, featuring solos by Zoot Sims, Sahib Shihab, Phil Woods, Clark Terry and Kenny Burrell. A number of tracks are in a soul jazz mode, others more straight ahead – 11 tracks, including "Moanin", "Daylie Double", "Syncopated Clock", "A Parisian Thoroughfare", "G'Wan Train" and "The Preacher". CD includes 3 bonus tracks, "The Hucklebuck", "Blues In The Night", and "After Hours". CD

A killer set from those magical 70s years when Quincy Jones was effortlessly blending jazz, soul, and contemporary R&B – all to come up with a genre that's almost completely his own! In the early 70s, Quincy Jones surrounded himself with some of the best young soul and jazz talent he could find, plus a few older pros – and the result was a great series of albums that spanned genres and created a whole new approach to modern R&B. This gem of an album was put together with a young Leon Ware and an older Ray Brown – and it features some killer mellow soul tracks that rank with Quincy's best work – with especially strong contributions from Ware, who'd yet to really shine on his own! Titles include the sublime version of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven", plus "Body Heat", "Soul Saga", "Everything Must Change", "One Track Mind", and "Along Came Betty". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed look at an overlooked side of the genius of Quincy Jones – not his jazz work, not his productions for famous soul artists, but instead his huge legacy of soundtrack material – a part of Q's career that really took off in the 60s! By the time he started working in films, Jones had already had a decade under his belt as one of the hippest arrangers, leaders, and composers in jazz – and the film business really respected those talents, and allowed Quincy to bring some really fresh styles into play – modes that really opened up the vibe of American cinema, and also paved the way for the funky styles of the 70s! As that decade approached, Jones left behind the cinema to take on some more higher-profile records of his own – but all the charms of those great albums can be found here at their roots – in this stunning collection of soundtrack material, some of which has never been on CD. The package is way more than just a sampler – and includes an album's worth of material from the films The Pawnbroker, Slender Thread, Mirage, The Deadly Affair, In The Heat Of The Night, In Cold Blood, Walk Don't Run, The Italian Job, Lost Man, and John & Mary – plus two versions of the love theme from The Getaway, and a bonus CD with 18 tracks – titled Q's highlights, and featuring tracks from his Mercury records – plus more by Billy Preston, Arthur Prysock, Bill Cosby, Shirley Horn, Letta Mbulu, Toots Thielemans, and others. Even features the "Sanford & Son" and "Ironside" themes! (Soundtracks, Jazz) CD

A much-needed look at an overlooked side of the genius of Quincy Jones – not his jazz work, not his productions for famous soul artists, but instead his huge legacy of soundtrack material – a part of Q's career that really took off in the 60s! By the time he started working in films, Jones had already had a decade under his belt as one of the hippest arrangers, leaders, and composers in jazz – and the film business really respected those talents, and allowed Quincy to bring some really fresh styles into play – modes that really opened up the vibe of American cinema, and also paved the way for the funky styles of the 70s! As that decade approached, Jones left behind the cinema to take on some more higher-profile records of his own – but all the charms of those great albums can be found here at their roots – in this stunning collection of soundtrack material, some of which has never been on CD. The package is way more than just a sampler – and includes an album's worth of material from the films The Pawnbroker, Slender Thread, Mirage, The Deadly Affair, In The Heat Of The Night, In Cold Blood, Walk Don't Run, The Italian Job, Lost Man, and John & Mary – plus two versions of the love theme from The Getaway, and a bonus CD with 18 tracks – titled Q's highlights, and featuring tracks from his Mercury records – plus more by Billy Preston, Arthur Prysock, Bill Cosby, Shirley Horn, Letta Mbulu, Toots Thielemans, and others. Even features the "Sanford & Son" and "Ironside" themes! (Soundtracks, Jazz) CD

Lost work from Quincy – recorded live in Switzerland around the same time as his Great Wide World album, but featuring a slightly different group – and a sound that's a lot more open! Players on the set include Les Spann on flute and guitar, Patti Brown on piano, Benny Bailey and Freddie Hubbard on trumpets, Curtis Fuller and Melba Liston on trombones, and Sahib Shihab on baritone sax – and the tracks are long, with some nice solo space throughout. Includes great versions of "Stolen Moments", "Moanin", "Banjaluka", and "Air Mail Special". CD

A really great, oft-overlooked album from the best period of Quincy Jones! This album is quite possibly Quincy's most farthest-reaching – as he works in an array of styles that really shows his growing genius in the studio – not just jazz and soundtrack modes, but more soul-based ones, handled with work from a great array of guest stars who really expand the sound. There's loads of nice bits – like a version of "My Cherie Amour", done with vocals by Leon Ware and Minnie Riperton; a new take on "Bluesette", redone with Toots Thielemans; and the original "Beautiful Black Girl", which features rapping by The Watts Prophets! Other tracks include "Paranoid", "Cry Baby", "Tryin To Find Out About You", and "Listen (What It Is)". CD

A nice one by Quincy! Although the material here isn't funky like his 70's work, it does show Quincy as a strong composer of serious thriller-type material – working in a style that produces a nice amount of tension and mood, and which still has some nice touches of jazz. The group is filled with strong jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Anthony Ortega, Oliver Nelson, Elvin Jones, and others – and the album features a vocal version of the theme by Marc Allen, plus a crazy spoken bit from the movie, by Rod Steiger! Other titles include "Harlem Drive", "Naked Truth", "Rack 'Em Up", and "Death Scene". (Soundtracks, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Notable sidemen include Julius Watkins on French horn, Les Spann on guitar and flute, Phil Woods and Sahib Shihab on saxophones, Melba Liston on trombones, and Clark Terry on trumpet. CD

One of Quincy Jones' best for Mercury Records in the 60s – a very groovy record that was done with a feel that's somewhere in between his Big Band Bossa album and his best 60s soundtrack work! The format is simple – Quincy picks a sweet batch of jazz semi-hits from the early 60s, plays them with a nice mix of soul jazz arrangements, and works with a great ensemble filled with wonderful players – including Roland Kirk, Budd Johnson, Seldon Powell, James Moody, and Jerome Richardson on reeds; Lalo Schifrin and Patti Brown on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Melba Liston on trombone – plus lots of great percussion at the bottom, helping bring some Latin energy to the grooves at points. Tunes are familiar, but all given a great Quincy Jones twist – and titles include "Gravy Waltz", "Jive Samba", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Bossa Nova USA", and "Watermelon Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy stuff from Quincy – a mix of jazz, soundtrack, and popular themes, all done in that soulful swinging style that Quincy virtually helped invent back in the 60s! The album's got plenty of great groovers that take a popular tune and kind of turn it on its ear – takes on tracks like "What's New Pussycat", "Non-Stop To Brazil", "The In Crowd", "Mack The Knife", "The Gentle Rain", and "Satisfaction" – all of which are souped-up by Quincy, and done in a rhythmic style that takes them past familiar versions you might know. The album also features the very groovy "Blues For Trumpet & Koto" – a slightly exotic number that we really like! LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy set of short jazzy numbers from Quincy – a consummate expression of all the work he'd forged in the 60s on soundtracks and other jazz sides for Mercury! The album features Quincy working through a lot of soul numbers – jamming on them instrumentally with players that include Jerome Richardson, Bobby Bryant, Plas Johnson, Ray Charles, Carol Kaye, and Ben Tucker – plus a nice brace of percussion from Ray Bryant and Gary Coleman. Titles include "Boss Bird", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "Mohair Sam", and "Baby Cakes". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic – and an important early album from Quincy Jones! Q's working here in some of his hippest settings of the 50s – scoring longish versions of jazz tunes for groups that include players like Lucky Thompson on tenor, Herbie Mann on flute, Art Farmer on trumpet, Phil Woods and Gene Quill on alto sax, Hank Jones on piano, and even Charles Mingus on bass! As with most Jones albums of the time, Quincy has a way of making a bigger group sound nice and lean – hitting some especially nice edges along with the rhythms, and really showing the way towards a new soulful sound for a bigger band. Titles include a sublime 10 minute version of "Walkin" that kicks off the album with a great soulful groove – plus original tunes "Evening In Paris", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Boo's Blues", as well as a version of Cannonball Adderley's "Sermonette". Also includes some great bonus tracks from the Go West album too! CD

A pivotal album not just in the career of Quincy Jones, but in the development of the CTI Records sound as well – as this all-star effort is a perfect blend of all the hippest currents that were cooking up in the scene at the time! At one level, the record has Quincy taking back some of the sophisticated currents he was developing in soundtrack work of the 60s, but moving back to jazz – more groove than before, and more of a sense of space and timing – which is carried off by an excellent lineup that features plenty of electric piano from Bob James, plus work from Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Toots Thielemans on guitar and harmonica. There's also added soulful vocals at a few points too – more chorus than lyrics, at a level that hints at the jazz/soul crossovers that Quincy would do in the 70s – on a set of tracks that's completely sublime, with titles that include "Killer Joe", "Dead End", "Walking In Space", and "Love & Peace". CD

A pivotal album not just in the career of Quincy Jones, but in the development of the CTI Records sound as well – as this all-star effort is a perfect blend of all the hippest currents that were cooking up in the scene at the time! At one level, the record has Quincy taking back some of the sophisticated currents he was developing in soundtrack work of the 60s, but moving back to jazz – more groove than before, and more of a sense of space and timing – which is carried off by an excellent lineup that features plenty of electric piano from Bob James, plus work from Hubert Laws on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Toots Thielemans on guitar and harmonica. There's also added soulful vocals at a few points too – more chorus than lyrics, at a level that hints at the jazz/soul crossovers that Quincy would do in the 70s – on a set of tracks that's completely sublime, with titles that include "Killer Joe", "Dead End", "Walking In Space", and "Love & Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Great old school sounds from Quincy Jones – the kind of smoking big band album we'd know from his early years on ABC or Mercury Records! The Q's done many great things in the years since those albums – including great work in the soul music and soundtrack fields – but it's great to know he can still turn out a jazz cooker like this when he wants – thanks in part to great help as a co-leader from reedman Sammy Nestico! The horns are totally tight – that great old Quincy way of coming on strong, then letting individual voices break out of the pack – and players include Ernie Watts, Gerald Albright, and Gary Foster on saxes; Oscar Brashear and Wane Bergeron on trumpets; George Bohannon and Bill Watrous on trombones – all great players who really make the record kick. The set also features guest solo work by Hubert Laws on flute, and Kirk Whalum on tenor and soprano sax – and Emil Richards even turns in a bit of vibes, too. Titles include "Grace", "Jelly Roll", "The Joy Of Cookin", "Ya Gotta Try Harder", "Lisett", and "No Time Like The Present". CD

Kind of a gimmicky session, but a great one nonetheless! It was Leonard Feather who first thought of rounding up all the "Jones" in jazz he could find, bringing them together for this unique date for the Period label – but fortunately, the quality of the work and strength of the players goes way past the goofy strategy of the date! The record's an especially great chance to hear Thad Jones in small group mode – blowing with that sweet, warm tone that we love in his Blue Note work, captured here in a slightly more informal setting. Also noteworthy is the piano of Jimmy Jones, the drums of Jo Jones, and the flugelhorn playing of Quincy Jones, who appears on 3 of the album's 9 tracks. Titles include "No Other Love", "The Jones Bash", "Jones Beach", "You've Changed", "Montego Bay", and "Salute To The Blue Bird". CD

A super-huge album from Quincy Jones – a record that's almost like Quincy's trying to show the whole younger generation that an older master like himself can still deliver the goods! The set was delivered right after Quincy helped out Michael Jackson on Off The Wall – and while it's got a few of the soulful touches of that set, it's also marked more deeply by the kind of work that Jones was turning out in the 70s – nicely focused with soulful vocals on most cuts, including some especially nice work from Patti Austin – a singer whose sophisticated style works perfectly for Quincy's groove. Titles include the killer "Ai No Corrida", plus "Razzamatazz", "Just Once", "Something Special", "Turn On The Action", "The Dude", "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me", "Velas", and "One Hundred Ways". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Quincy's world is great and wide indeed – and even at this early point in his career, he was displaying a wonderful talent for bringing in bits from all sources! The album's essentially a straight jazz set, but it's got some great exotic touches that are in keeping with the "world" theme and the globe-trotting titles on the set. The group's excellent too – with players that include Sahib Shihab, Budd Johnson, Les Spann, Lee Morgan, and Phil Woods – all working through hip arrangements by Al Cohn, Bill Potts, and Ernie Wilkins. Titles include "Ghana", "Air Mail Special", "Chant Of The Weed", "Eesom", and "I Never Has Seen Snow". LP, Vinyl record album

A real step forward for Quincy Jones – a record that really shows the jazzman moving into sophisticated new territory – a sound that's just right for the CTI generation! The album's got a vibe that's a bit similar to Quincy's Walking In Space album, but it's a lot deeper too – touched with some of the African elements you might guess from the title – arranged in ways that are often quite spacious, so that the tunes really take some time to find just the right groove! Backings are large, but show the leaner elements that Jones was bringing to his soundtrack work – and instrumentation includes vibes from Milt Jackson, marimba from Don Elliott, flute from Hubert Laws, soprano sax from Jerome Richardson, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, trombone from Al Grey, and guitar from Eric Gale. Keyboards figure strongly – played by Herbie Hancock and Bob James – and special features include a bit of guitar and whistling from Toots Thielemans, plus some soulful vocals from Valerie Simpson. "Gula Matari" is an incredible 12 minute tribal groove – and other titles include a killer take on Nat Adderley's "Hummin", plus "Walkin" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". LP, Vinyl record album

A delicious smorgasbord of rare Swedish recordings by Quincy Jones – captured here with Harry Arnold and the Swedish Radio Studio Orchestra, with Clifford Brown and Art Farmer, and in an obscure soundtrack set for Arne Sucksdorff's 1961 film The Boy In The Tree. CD

A very soulful set of big band material from Quincy Jones – recorded during that tight early 60s period when his arrangements just couldn't fail! The album's his only session for Impulse, and it's got a slightly deeper style than his work from the time for Mercury – a bit more sophisticated, with nice modern touches that take the tunes in surprising directions. Part of the greatness of the set lies in the players – as the album features work by Curtis Fuller, Thad Jones, Stu Martin, Freddie Hubbard, Patty Brown, Phil Woods, and Jerome Richardson – and titles include "Robot Portrait", "Hard Sock Dance", "The Twitch", and "For Lena & Lennie". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great Japanese-only collection, with some of the excellent early 70s funky tracks from Quincy Jones – including "Sanford & Son (Hicky Burr)", "Chump Change", "Summer In The City", "Ironside", "Soul Saga", "Eyes Of Love", and "If I Ever Lose This Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

With Ndugu Chancler on persussion, Bill Kanengiser on guitar, and Bob Magnusson on bass on "New Earth Sonata"; and with John Beasley on Yamaha DX7 and Dorothy Ashby on harp on "Amazing Grace". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album that's a perfect document of the strong impact that Quincy Jones had in the transatlantic jazz scene of the late 50s and early 60s! The set was recorded in 1960, and features two players that Quincy would leave behind in Europe to have a huge influence on the scene. Trumpeter Benny Bailey is the greatest of these – and his impact on jazz in Germany and Sweden during the 60s and 70s cannot be discounted. The other is drummer Joe Harris, who does excellent work here in a group that includes Arne Domnerus on sax, Ake Persson on trombone, and Gunnar Svensson on piano – all Swedes that Quincy picked up after touring the country heavily during the late 50s. The set grooves with the best of Jones' work on Mercury from the time – and although Quincy's not listed in the credits, it's probably only because of contractual reasons. Titles are all Jones originals – including "Meet Benny Bailey", "Plenty, Plenty Soul", "Fallen Feathers", and "The Midnight Sun Never Sets". CD

Work Of Art is a great batch of material that Art Farmer recorded for Prestige in the early fifties. This is way before he got hyper-lyrical, and his playing is raw and hard on a bunch of Quincy Jones arrangements, including the savage cut "Mau-Mau", which features a very early use of the electric bass, driving drumming by Sonny Johnson, and a savage Afro groove. This cut alone is worth the price of the album, and deserves to be a club classic. Warm Valley is a wonderfully-titled set for Art Farmer – working here in a warm valley of sound, and blowing in that open, spacious tone that marked so much of his best later work! The group's a quartet – with Fred Hersh on piano, Ray Drummund on bass, and Akira Tana on drums – all sort of nicely sticking in the back and letting Art take center stage on his round, well-crafted fluegelhorn solos. Titles include "Eclypso", "And Now There's You", "Three Little Words", "Warm Valley", and "Sad To Say". CD

Seminal work from Dizzy – showing that he was a genius in any form of jazz! In the mid 50s, Diz had one of the hippest big bands going – filled with great young players that included Lee Morgan, Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, and Walter Davis Jr. The work he crafted here was partly an extension of his earlier bop sides, but also a demonstration of his desire to express himself in more expansive forms – kind of a hint of the direction he'd take in the 60s, with his work in Latin, soundtrack, and funk styles. The set combines tracks from 3 different Verve albums – and it also packages the material with a number of previously unissued tracks, and some great liner notes that do a wonderful job of summing up the spirit of the work. Arrangements are by AK Salim, Quincy Jones, Tadd Dameron, and Dizzy himself – and tracks include "Jordu", "Tin Tin Deo", "Groovin For Nat", "Dizzy's Business", "Jessica's Day", "Doodlin", "Yo No Quiero Bailar", "Birk's Works", "Tangorine", "Umbrella Man", and "Mayflower Rock". 42 tracks in all! CD

A record that's recorded by a duo, but one that's got a much fuller sound than you might expect – thanks to the magic of overdub, and to some great production help from Quincy Jones! Alfredo Rodriguez plays piano, Fender Rhodes, and keyboards – Pedro Martinez plays percussion – and both artists sing a bit too – and the whole thing sounds a lot richer than just a keyboard and percussion album might, as the songs bristle with the energy of a small combo – mixing together elements of Latin jazz and other global elements, in a mode that's warmly soulful and sometimes funky. Titles include a nice remake of "Thriller", plus "Estamos Llegando", "Yo Volvere", "Mariposa", "Cosas Del Amor", "Duologue", "Africa", and "El Punto Cubano". CD

A stunner – and one of Clark Terry's finest moments ever! The record has a rawness and groove that you'd hardly expect from his later albums – no surprise, though, considering that it was cut during that really hip time at Emarcy, when the label was working in a mode that was darker and more challenging than many of the smaller labels at the time. Credit is also due to arranger Quincy Jones – who pulls together a group that includes Horace Silver, Jimmy Cleveland, Cecil Payne, and Art Blakey, all into a fiercely grooving sound that recalls some of his most adventurous work of the 50s. The album kicks off with the stunning "Swahili", a tune that will instantly make you happy you bought the record – and other tracks include "Coop", "Chuckles", "Tuma", "Kitten", and "The Countess". CD

A stunner – and one of Clark Terry's finest moments ever! The record has a rawness and groove that you'd hardly expect from his later albums – no surprise, though, considering that it was cut during that really hip time at Emarcy, when the label was working in a mode that was darker and more challenging than many of the smaller labels at the time. Credit is also due to arranger Quincy Jones – who pulls together a group that includes Horace Silver, Jimmy Cleveland, Cecil Payne, and Art Blakey, all into a fiercely grooving sound that recalls some of his most adventurous work of the 50s. The album kicks off with the stunning "Swahili", a tune that will instantly make you happy you bought the record – and other tracks include "Coop", "Chuckles", "Tuma", "Kitten", and "The Countess". LP, Vinyl record album

2 rare sides of work by trumpeter Clark Terry – both with a fair bit more edge than many of his later recordings! The first half of the CD is from the amazing 1955 album Clark Terry for Emarcy – a real stunner, and one of Terry's finest moments ever! The record has a rawness and groove that you'd hardly expect from his later albums – no surprise, though, considering that it was cut during that really hip time at Emarcy, when the label was working in a mode that was darker and more challenging than many of the smaller labels at the time. Credit is also due to arranger Quincy Jones – who pulls together a group that includes Horace Silver, Jimmy Cleveland, Cecil Payne, and Art Blakey, all into a fiercely grooving sound that recalls some of his most adventurous work of the 50s. The album kicks off with the stunning "Swahili", a tune that will instantly make you happy you bought the record – and other tracks include "Coop", "Chuckles", "Tuma", "Kitten", and "The Countess". These tracks are followed by 8 more from an obscure 1954 session done under the leadership of clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton – and featuring Terry on trumpet, Barry Galbraith and Sidney Gross on guitars, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums – all in a really unusual group formation that's totally great! One guitar's used for solos and the other for rhythm – and the lack of piano gives the record a decidedly different swing than you might expect from a Jimmy Hamilton session – one that's less traditional, and more airy and open – really inventive in the rhythmic construction of the tunes, in a mode that's followed up very nicely by the soloists in their own energy. Titles include "Chuckles", "Bohemia After Dark", "Blues In My Room", "Blues For Clarinet", and "What Am I Here For". CD

A really rich album by Sarah Vaughan – recorded in Paris in 1958, with orchestrations by Quincy Jones – and large group backing that includes some great tenor work by Zoot Sims! The session's one of Vaughan's most cohesive albums of the period, and although it's got "violins" in the title, it's not too drippy or sleepy, thanks to Quincy – who keeps the whole thing moving along nicely, with just the right amount of swing and soul to work perfectly with Vaughan's vocals! Titles include "Live For Love", "Please Be Kind", "I'll Close My Eyes", "That's All", "Day By Day", "The Thrill Is Gone", and "Love Me". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Very early work from Cannonball Adderley – recorded way before the funky years, when he was a hard-wailing soulful soloist with a lot of bop in his style! Cannon's paired here with brother Nat, a good companion even at this early stage – and the two of them solo in front of a large group that features Jerome Richardson, Max Roach, Cecil Payne, and Jimmy Cleveland, all blowing away in hard heavy form, similar to that used on other Mercury/Emarcy jazz sessions from the time. Quincy Jones handled the arrangements, and Cannonball holds his own nicely – and serves up a whole new tone that's a lot more measured than in later years. Tracks include "Fallen Feathers", "Song Is You", "Willows", and "Everglade". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime blending of modes – the sound of the excellent Count Basie band during their Roulette Records years, mixed with a bit of strings for a very moody sound! Don't worry about any too-commercial or pop modes going on here – as the arrangements are all super hip, and handled by talents like Quincy Jones and George Williams – who keep things in this dark-tinged style that's just perfect for the key talents in the Basie group, as the album features standout solos on almost every number – including a bit of tenor from guest Ben Webster! Titles include "Song Of The Islands", "Stringing The Blues", "The One I Love", "Blues Bittersweet", "She's Funny That Way", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album that follows on the trend that was begun by Sinatra and Tony Bennett – one that takes strong jazz backings from Count Basie to push a singer past the usual pop format! Sammy didn't always get backing this strong – and the album's got Quincy Jones handling the arrangements for Basie in the same mode the he used on the Sinatra/Basie sides for Reprise. Titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "She's A Woman", "New York City Blues", "Work Song", and "Blues For Mr Charlie" – and the album even features Sammy doing a bit of tap dancing! (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

A great batch of material that Art Farmer recorded for Prestige in the early fifties. This is way before he got hyper-lyrical, and his playing is raw and hard on a bunch of Quincy Jones arrangements, including the savage cut "Mau-Mau", which features a very early use of the electric bass, driving drumming by Sonny Johnson, and a savage Afro groove. This cut alone is worth the price of the album, and deserves to be a club classic. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer batch of large ensemble numbers – very much in the mode of the Clarke-Boland Big Band, or some of the other groups on MPS at the time! The group's led by Jerry Van Rooyen, the Dutch jazzman and composer who did some excellent funky soundtrack work over the years – a fact that certainly shows up in the tracks on the set – which have a sweetly grooving feel mixed in with the large ensemble jazz – a great approach that would have been right at home in some hip Euro film score from the time! Van Rooyen gives the material a soulful feel that's a lot like some of Quincy Jones' best scoring from the 60s – blending together work on organ, Fender Rhodes, and piano (played by Frans Elsen, Rob Madna, and Rob Franken) – with breakaway horn solos by players like Benny Bailey on trumpet and Rolf Ericson on trumpets, Ake Persson and Jiggs Whigham on trombones, and Herb Geller, Ferdinand Povel, and Tony Coe on reeds – most of whom are players who've sparked great notes previously on sets with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, or other hip MPS ensemble projects. Titles include "Sonlite", "Because I Love You", "Some Blues", "For Nathalie", "The Runners", "JBW", "Green", and "Whirligig". LP, Vinyl record album

2 early albums by the great Shirley Horn – back to back on one CD! On Loads Of Love, Shirley sings some somber ballads over large orchestrations by Jimmy Jones – in a mode that's different from recent work, but which also shows that she's a great singer with a really sensitive style. The groove's not as open as on some of her small combo recordings, but that also brings out a side of Shirley that you don't always hear on record – a committed, honest, slightly sad style that's quite striking, considering that this was one of Shirley's first albums. Titles include "That's No Joke", "Love For Sale", "Ten Cents A Dance", "Who Am I?", "Only The Lonely", and "Wild Is Love". Horn With Horns is hip stuff from Shirley – very mature and swinging jazz, despite any hokiness you might expect from the "with horns" tag. Arrangements are by Quincy Jones, Thad Jones, and Billy Byers – and the set list features some good current numbers, and a bunch of standards, all redone nicely in a 60s sophistijazz style. Tracks include "Wee Small Hours", "That Old Black Magic", "The Great City", "On The Street Where You Live", and "Let Me Love You". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

One of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an unintentional way of covering for Frank's slightly failing pipes – but it also picks up on a seminal beat change in 60s pop, the same sort of gentle snapping groove that you'd find in the best work by Bacharach, a shift that really infuses Frank's vocals with a whole new sound, one that shows that he's ready to keep on growing and growing after being stuck in a Nelson Riddle rut. All tracks are superb – hip 60s pop and showtunes, like "I Believe In You", "Fly Me To the Moon", "More", "The Good Life", "Wives & Lovers", and "I Wanna Be Around". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Amazing stuff – material that really defines the essence of Sonny Stitt, and which has barely been reissued! Includes material that appeared on the albums Sonny Stitt Arrangements by Johnny Richards, Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements From The Pen Of Quincy Jones, Sonny Stitt Plays, 37 Minutes & 48 Seconds With Sonny Sttit, Sonny Stitt With The New Yorkers, The Saxophones Of Sonny Stitt, A Little Bit Of Stitt, Sonny Side Of Stitt, Stittsville, Sonny Side Up, Feelins, Stitt In Orbit, Stitt Goes Latin, Sax Expressions, Symphony Hall Swing, and Jazz At The Hi Hat Vol 2. CD

A stunner – and one of Clark Terry's finest moments ever! The record has a rawness and groove that you'd hardly expect from his later albums – no surprise, though, considering that it was cut during that really hip time at Emarcy, when the label was working in a mode that was darker and more challenging than many of the smaller labels at the time. Credit is also due to arranger Quincy Jones – who pulls together a group that includes Horace Silver, Jimmy Cleveland, Cecil Payne, and Art Blakey, all into a fiercely grooving sound that recalls some of his most adventurous work of the 50s. The album kicks off with the stunning "Swahili", a tune that will instantly make you happy you bought the record – and other tracks include "Coop", "Chuckles", "Tuma", "Kitten", and "The Countess". LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Basie meets the genius of Quincy Jones – a 60s pairing that's every bit as great as the 50s pairing of Basie and Neal Hefti! Jones and Basie worked together in a number of settings during the 60s – including a very successful album for Frank Sinatra on Reprise – but here, the pair are really going full-on and hard-swinging, in a fresh style that's got all the hipness of Quincy's budding talent in the 60s, played with the deeply soulful manner of the still-great Basie band of the time. Titles include "Rat Race", "For Lena & Lennie", "The Big Walk", "Meet BB", "Jessica's Day", "Muttnik", and "Quince". CD

Count Basie and Quincy Jones were always a mighty mighty combination – and there's no finer proof of that fact than this sweet little set! Quincy had a way of swinging Basie's group even more than Neal Hefti did – really letting the piano step out front, and swinging the larger horn parts in this mode that was extremely soulful, yet never with the hoke that could sometimes mar a Basie set – a style that was very 60s groovy, and which really helped breathe new life into the Count's ensemble! The album's a killer all the way through – and the tunes are all originals – written by Quincy, and arranged especially for the set – great little numbers that include "Nasty Magus", "Dum Dum", "Boody Rumble", "Count Em", "Belly Roll", and "Lil Ol Groovemaker Basie"! CD

Count Basie and Quincy Jones were always a mighty mighty combination – and there's no finer proof of that fact than this sweet little set! Quincy had a way of swinging Basie's group even more than Neal Hefti did – really letting the piano step out front, and swinging the larger horn parts in this mode that was extremely soulful, yet never with the hoke that could sometimes mar a Basie set – a style that was very 60s groovy, and which really helped breathe new life into the Count's ensemble! The album's a killer all the way through – and the tunes are all originals – written by Quincy, and arranged especially for the set – great little numbers that include "Nasty Magus", "Dum Dum", "Boody Rumble", "Count Em", "Belly Roll", and "Lil Ol Groovemaker Basie"! LP, Vinyl record album

Early 50s material recorded by the late Clifford Brown – issued here in a classic "memorial" package slightly after his death in 1956! And while Brown never recorded much for Prestige – and never really as a leader – these sides are still a great example of his completely unique touch on the trumpet! The first half of material was recorded in 1953 – and features Brown soloing with Tadd Dameron's group on the tracks "Philly JJ", "Chose Now", and "Dial B For Beauty". The other set features Brown and Art Farmer as the lead soloists with the Swedish All Stars, a group led by Quincy Jones – and tracks on that session include "Stockholm Sweetnin", "Scuse These Blues", and "Lover Come Back To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge overview of work from one of the hippest large group leaders in France at the end of the 50s – the mighty Christian Chevallier, who was almost to the Parisian scene what Quincy Jones was to the American one! Chevallier has a great way of building a larger group out of really strong individual voices – using key jazz musicians on almost all the tracks here – players who include Roger Guerin on trumpet, Benny Vasseur and Billy Byers on trombones, Bobby Jaspar and Jean Louis Cheautemps on tenors, Armand Migiani on alto and baritone, Michel Hausser and Fats Said on vibes, Pierre Michelot on bass, and even Kenny Clarke on drums on a few great tracks! The set begins with a famous soundtrack done in collaboration with Martial Solal for a film by Jean Pierre Melville – then moves into a great range of jazz material from assorted albums and EP releases from the late 50s and early 60s. The set feature a great EP with Kenny Clarke, a Madison record, a date with Bilbert Becaud, and assorted other releases – a total of 75 tracks in all! CD

A brilliant album that follows on the trend that was begun by Sinatra and Tony Bennett – one that takes strong jazz backings from Count Basie to push a singer past the usual pop format! Sammy didn't always get backing this strong – and the album's got Quincy Jones handling the arrangements for Basie in the same mode the he used on the Sinatra/Basie sides for Reprise. Titles include "The Girl From Ipanema", "She's A Woman", "New York City Blues", "Work Song", and "Blues For Mr Charlie" – and the album even features Sammy doing a bit of tap dancing! (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The title here might not roll off the tongue, but the set's full of fantastic funky sounds that will have you fast forgetting you can barely speak the name of the record! Henryk Debich is one of the true European sound library greats of the 70s – but unlike his better-known contemporaries in London, Paris, and Rome, he did most of his work behind the Iron Curtain, for an assortment of radio and TV productions that were never shown on Western screens! Yet with work like this, Debich proves that he's got all the chops of soundtrack and film score greats like Lalo Schifrin or Quincy Jones – as the music is full of great funky rhythms at the core, plenty of riffing guitar and keyboard solos, and even a few more sensitive jazz-based moments too. The set's one of the first to expose the music of Henryk to a larger audience, and as such features notes in English and Polish – alongside cuts that include "Puma", "Wampiry", "Sjesta", "Zblizenie", "Marzanna", "Ostinato Riff", "Blyski I Ciene", and "Wewnatrz I Na Zewnatrz". (Sound Library, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

With Herbie Mann on flute and tenor, Joe Puma on guitar, and Al Cohn on baritone sax; with arrangements by Quincy Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Quincy Jones handles the arrangements, so the set's got plenty of soul – and the band really swings on titles that include "Tea For Two", "Deed I Do", "My Last Affair", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "Shiny Stockings". (Vocalists, Jazz) CD