One of the greatest Quincy Jones albums of all time! The record's a spacey jazz masterpiece – and it combine's Quincy's soulful soundtrack vision with the excellent production talents of Creed Taylor, for a monster album of long drawn out cuts that mix soul jazz with more sophisticated arrangements! Bob James plays electric piano on a number of cuts, and in a way, the record's kind of a blueprint for some of James' later CTI albums. Titles include "Killer Joe", "Dead End", "Walking In Space", and "Love & Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Stone funky work from the late 60s – a landmark batch of tracks by Quincy Jones – originally recorded for the soundtrack of the first Bill Cosby show, and issued here to the public for the first time ever! The show's famous theme "Hikky-Burr" is a well-known groover with a sinister snapping edge that sums up all the best of Quincy's funky jazz soundtrack work in the 60s – and the rest of the tracks on the set follow in a blend of California soul jazz modes that's mighty mighty nice! Players on the tunes include Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander, Joe Sample, Eddie Harris, Ray Brown, and Paul Humphrey – and the tracks have a loose, improvised feel that's a nice contrast from a lot of Quincy's tighter soundtrack work. Along with 2 different versions of "Hikky-Burr" (one with vocal by Cosby, one without), the set also features tracks that include "Toe Jam", "Jive Den", "Monty Is That You", and "Eubie Walkin" – plus a loosely disguised version of "Listen Here", and a take on "Oh Happy Day". Great stuff – and wonderful to finally have out on CD! CD

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 a record 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! Includes 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 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". LP, Vinyl record album

A split 70s LP – with two earlier classics! First up is How I Feel About Jazz – 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". Next is Quintessence – 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

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. CD

A classic funky soundtrack – remixed! In a surprisingly great move, Concord Records follows their re-release of the soundtrack to the original Bill Cosby Show of the late 60s with remixes of the Quincy Jones tunes by a variety of current producers! The work really steps off from the original sound of the show's music – using the best bits and quirky standout moments of the tracks, but crafting them into grooves that fit the specific moods of eacy of the producers. This is way more than a simple remix project, and is probably better stated by the "new mixes" title – with tracks that include "Where's Eddie" by Echo, "Jimmy's Theme" by Mario Caldato Jr, "Pelando" by Los Amigos Invisibles, "Along Came Mr Nobody" by Ursula 1000, "Matthew Herbert's Technically Amateur Mix" by Herbert, "Valeurs Personelles" by Cornershop, and "Miss Leslie" by Soulive. CD

Early Quincy Jones jazz tunes – played by a legendary crew of musicians – led in separate spots by Benny Bailey, Nat Adderly, Coleman Hawkins, Lucky Thompson and Toots Thielemans! The tunes are from the Late 50s/early 60s era when young Quincy was being groomed to be another Duke Ellington (boy, if the world only knew!) The sessions were cut in Sweden with a rotation of Swedish players, plus American Joe Harris on drums on some tracks – and some of the work originally appeared on a Benny Bailey album for Argo, as well as on a Roy Haynes set for Mercury. The material is a batch of mostly clean-toned, bop-learned jazz, with some leisurely paced bluesy arrangements in spots. Tracks include "The Golden Touch", "Jones Beach", "Tiem Midnight Sun Never Sets", "Fallen Feathers", "Sister Sadie", "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "That Old Black Magic", "I Remember You" and more. CD

A dream of a collaboration – the great Nat King Cole in his prime, getting some mighty hip backings from the equally great Quincy Jones – who gives Nat a jazzy push that he wasn't always getting on his Capitol Records sessions of the time! The performance was recorded live in Paris on the same 1960 tour that has given us a few other rare Cole/Jones collaborations – but this one may well be the best of the bunch, as the fidelity is great – with an equal balance on Nat's wonderful vocal phrasing, and all the strongly soulful elements that Quincy brings to the band. Titles include "Tickle Toe", "Lester Leaps In", "Dance Ballerina Dance", "The Continental", "Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup", "Route 66", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "Joe Turner's Blues", "Welcome To The Club", "Blues In The Night", and "Thou Swell". CD

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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". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Michael Jackson's last albums with his famous brothers – a record that was cut in between the two Quincy Jones albums (Off The Wall and Thriller) that would catapult him to megastardom! This set is still an all-Jacksons affair – produced and written by the whole group, and put together with some of those uptempo groovers that both Michael and Jermaine would showcase heavily in their own solo work. The sound's a nice extension of the late 70s Jacksons vibe, peppered with some of Michael's new strengths – and titles include "Can You Feel It", "Lovely One", "Your Ways", "Everybody", "This Place Hotel", "Give It Up", and "Wondering Who". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "This Place Hotel (single version)", "Walk Right Now (John Luongo disco mix)", and "Walk Right Now (John Luongo inst mix)". CD

Early early work by Bob James – recorded years before his classic 70s sides on electric piano, and in a brightly modern mode that recalls the spirit of Steve Kuhn and Paul Bley at the time! The set's a trio session – produced by Quincy Jones, who'd heard the young James and rushed him into the studio. Bob's playing in a group that includes Ron Brooks on bass, and the great Bob Pozar on drums – who went onto do some of his own excellent avant work in later years. The tracks are relatively straight, but have some nice jagged edges at times – and light experimentation that makes the set way more than just a standard piano trio session! Titles include "My Love", "Moment's Notice", "Quest", "Trilogy", "Nardis", and "Birk's Works". CD

Totally groovy sounds from a top-level Polish cop show in the 70s – one that certainly didn't make it to our screens back in the day, but which definitely had a soundtrack to match some of the best American programs of the time! In fact, the style here is maybe more late 60s/early 70s than the actual dates might imply – with lots of elements that you'd hear in work from Lalo Schifrin, Quincy Jones, and some of their contemporaries – including lots of surprisingly strong jazz elements, mixed in with the fuller orchestrations, funky rhythms, and more electric moments! There's a bit of wordless vocalization at times – but most cuts here are instrumental, and plenty darn great throughout – a real discovery to our American ears – even though the show was one of the biggest Polish TV programs at the time. The CD features a whopping 38 tracks in all, with hefty notes in both Polish and English – and the whole thing may well be one of the grooviest Gad Records projects to date! CD

Forget his 50s hits, forget his gospel work – this is the sound of Little Richard that we totally love! Back in the early 70s, Richard came back with a vengeance, and recorded some great albums for Reprise – all done in a style that was hip, chunky, and funky – still filled with the same sort of energy of his earlier sides, but done in a style that was perfect for the early 70s crossover crowd. There's a nicely messed-up mix of soul, funk, rock, and R&B going on in the tunes – and Richard's working here with help from Quincy Jones, HB Barnum, Bumps Blackwell, and the Fame Studios team – all of whom push Richard way way way out of his usual bag! The 3CD set features the full tracks from the albums The Rill Thing, The Second Coming, and King Of Rock & Roll – plus tunes from the soundtrack to Dollar, and the full tracks from Southern Child, a record that was due to come out in 1972, but never issued at the time! Plus, there's a huge amount of additional gems pulled from singles, radio spots, and other unreleased tapes – with titles that include "The Rill Thing", "Money Is", "Do It To It", "Midnight Special", "Green Power", "Thomasine", "Mississippi (inst)", "Over Yonder", "Puppy Dog Song", "Radio Spot A", "In The Name", "Sneak The Freak", "Ain't No Tellin", "Brown Sugar", "Greenwood, Mississippi", and "Second Line". CD

A hell of a soundtrack from the great Johnny Mandel – maybe his jazziest work of the 60s, and perfectly scored for this groovy cop film that stars Paul Newman as the 45-wielding title character! The vibe here is almost more 60s Quincy Jones than anything else – with sublime orchestrations from Dick Hazard, Bill Holman, and Billy Byers – which all have this great balance between swinging ensemble passages and standout solo instruments, including a sweet bit of Hammond. The record features two vocal tracks – "As Sure As You're Born" with lyrics by Marilyn & Alan Bergman, and vocals by Sam Fletcher – "Quietly There", by Morgan Ames with vocals by Ruth Price – and instrumental titles include "Magnus Cum Louder", "Harper", "Harper's Ferry", "Mexican Breakfast", and "Bel Air". Also features the vocal track "Livin Alone" – written by Andre Previn, with lyrics by Dory Previn. LP, Vinyl record album

Helen Merrill's first album for Emarcy – and a beautiful session of icy vocals arranged by Quincy Jones, and featuring work by Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Jones, and Clifford Brown. The set's got a relaxed jazzy style that you don't hear on some of Merrill's more full-blown albums – and the coldness and sadness of Helen's tone is really right up front in the arrangements – with a starkness that's extremely moving, and a power that she often never matched on record again! Titles include "Don't Explain", "What's New", "Yesterdays", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". 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". CD

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by Les Spann – an extremely talented jazz player who worked a lot with Dizzy Gillespie in the 50s, and Quincy Jones in the 60s! Les plays both guitar and flute on the set – grooving soulfully in a mode that recalls the stylings of Frank Wess or Kenny Burrell (depending on the instrument), but which is handled here in an easily soulful mode that recalls the sound of Les Jazz Modes at times. Players include Julius Watkins, Tommy Flanagan, Sam Jones, and Louis Hayes. CD

Features work with key French players from the period including Martial Solal, Henri Renaud, and Pierre Michelot – plus a couple of tracks with Quincy Jones and Clifford Brown. CD

A key set in the early 60s recasting of Dinah Washington's sound for a younger generation – and a record that pairs Dinah's great vocals with some lively arrangements from Quincy Jones! The Q really knows how to hip things up for the record – taking the familiar tunes of the themes and grooving them up with a bit more punch – swinging things ever so lightly as to brighten the mood that might otherwise make for a much bluesier album overall. Titles include Mel Torme's "Stranger in Town" plus "Don't Explain", "When Your Lover has Gone", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "You're Crying", "Blue Gardenia", and "Invitation". CD

A cool compilation that features one album of new recordings of older Dinah Washington hits – done in 1961 with backings by Quincy Jones – and another record that features some of Dinah's best bits for Mercury from the late 50s and early 60s! LP, Vinyl record album

A cool session from Cootie Williams – working here as a vocalist as much as a trumpeter, often in the company of female singer Wini Brown! The set has both singers working together on some hip duets, then stepping apart and working on their own for some tracks too – an approach that's a bit like the Louis Armstrong/Ella Fitzgerald recordings over at Verve, but handled here with a bit more swing overall! Arrangements are by Quincy Jones, who knows how to make the record move nicely – and who also keeps things away from any too-hokey territory – and titles include "Around Midnight", "Bewitched", "That Old Feeling", "Goin Around", "Lover", and "Gone Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Bossa jazz – deluxe! And if you can get past that slightly cheesy title, this is actually a great compilation! The set's one of a number of recent anthologies done by the Dubas label, and it features an assortment of older bossa tunes – from both America and Brazil – selected with a strong focus on the jazzy component of the tracks. Title sinclude "Coisa No 9" by Moacir Santos, "Marta E Romao" by Paul Desmond, "Aquarius" by Cal Tjader, "Cocovado" by Sergio Mendes & Bossa Rio, "Desafinado" by Quincy Jones, "Wave" by Oscar Peterson, "Moca Flor" by Wes Montgomery, and "Outra Vez" by Stan Getz. CD

Includes tracks by Ramsey Lewis, Nina Simone, Quincy Jones, Jimmy McGriff, Cal Tjader, Lou Donaldson, Charlie Byrd, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Charles Mingus, and Sonny Stitt. CD

A nice set of 17 funky tracks used by the likes of Jay Z, Large Professor, Apache, Beatnuts, DMX, Rakim, and many others! Titles include "Up Against The Wall" by Quincy Jones, "Mothers Day" by 24 Carat Black, "Studwood" by Jazz Crusaders, "World Famous" by Malcolm McLaren, "Land Of Milk & Honey" by Vicki Anderson, "Soul Sides" by Art Farmer, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Jerry Butler, "Never Gonna Stop" by Linda Crawford, and "New Beginnings" by Dexter Wansel. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful celebration of the long-running Ecoutez Le Cinema series – a book-styled package that brings together dozens of rare and classic soundtrack tunes, plus a big booklet of notes! The CDs feature titles from across the series – 2CDs' worth of music from dozens of films, handled by top-shelf composers who include Lalo Shifrin, Quincy Jones, Michel Magne, Antoine Duhamel, Georges Delerue, Alain Goraguer, Martial Solal, Michel Legrand, Eric Demarsan, Francois De Roubaix, Krzystof Komeda, Jimmy Smith, Jean Claude-Vannier, and many others – with the strong focus on French film score artists that we've always loved in the series. The book is 90 pages, in full color, with lots of images of films and composers –and essays that bring together two different talents – Martial Solal on Jean Luc Godard, Alain Goraguer on Serge Gainsbourg, Costa Gavras on Michel Magne, Lalo Schifrin on Rene Clement, and so on. All these essays are in French, but the other contents are very enjoyable from a language-less perspective! CD

A wonderful chapter in the career of Ray Charles – and a key album in helping raise his respect level a notch or two in the early 60s! We might argue with the mathematics in the title – or at least joke that Ray was using equations as titles years before Anthony Braxton – but you can't contest the fact that this one's a classic treat, and a legendary attempt to class up Ray's bluesy style for the masses. Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns handled the arrangements, and given that the record was issued by ABC a few years before they brought Ray into a country mode, it's interesting to think what might have happened had his career continued this way. There's only a small number of vocal tracks on the record, and most of the rest feature Ray at the organ, grooving away very nicely! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Moanin", "I've Got News For You", "Mister C", and "Stompin Room Only". CD adds 3 bonus tracks from the album Genius Hits The Road. CD

A righteous early 70s set from Ray Charles – and a record with a much deeper vibe than you might guess from the image of Ray and some kids on the cover! Arrangements were handled by Quincy Jones, Sid Feller, and Mike Post – and the record is kind of a 70s take on the fuller modes that Charles explored for ABC during the 60s – moved into more contemporary territory with some sweet Fender Rhodes, full strings, and a funky undercurrent in some of the rhythms – never too forced or over the top, but in ways that makes some of the tunes sly steppers that work great with Charles' aging vocals. Titles include "Abraham Martin & John", "Heaven Help Us All", "There'll Be No Peace Without All Men As One", "Hey Mister", "Lift Every Voice & Sing", "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong", and "What Have They Done To My Song Ma". CD

A great chapter in the growth of Art Farmer during the 50s – his brief time spent in the studio blowing with Hal McKusick on a set of tightly-arranged albums that were some of the best in 50s modern jazz! Art had first come to prominence blowing with Quincy Jones in the earlier part of the decade, but his work with McKusick helped shape and discipline his tone even more – really opening up the love of space and soundshape that would surface even more strongly in Farmer recordings of the 60s and 70s, and providing a nice counterpoint to McKusick's more angular, sometimes academic approach to his own reed work. CD features a total of 19 tracks in all – all the Farmer-included titles on the Hal McKusick Quintet albums for RCA and Coral, plus others from the unique Cross Section Saxes album as well. Titles include "Down & Dirty", "Alone Together", "Criss Cross", "Pon Su", "Old Devil Moon", "For Art's Sake", "It Never Entered My Mind", and "Just Leave It Alone". CD

A collection of Dizzy's 50s big band recordings, with sidemen that include Quincy Jones, Ernie Royal, JJ Johnson, Hank Mobley, Lucky Thompson, Gigi Gryce, Sahib Shihab, Lee Morgan, Synton Kelly, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever in Verve's classic set of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that captures the Dizzy Gillespie group of the decade in top live formation! The ensemble here is plenty hip – with a young Lee Morgan joining Dizzy on trumpet, and a host of other great players who include Melba Liston and Al Grey on trombones, Benny Golson and Billy Mitchell on saxes, and rhythm from the trio of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul West on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums! Although big, the band often had the sharper groove of a small combo – and even when hitting some older moments from Gillespie's earlier years, they still kept a modern edge in their approach – thanks to arrangements by AK Salim, Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones, and Dizzy himself. Titles include "School Days", "I Remember Clifford", "Manteca", "Dizzy's Blues", "Cool Breeze", and "Doodlin". CD also features a full bonus side from another album – Dizzy Gillespie with Mary Lou Williams At Newport – featuring Mary Lou Williams with the same group, on titles that include the extended "Zodiac Suite", plus "Carioca" and "Night In Tunisia". CD

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon". 3LP version is filled with great bonus material – a huge amount of tracks that include "Free", "Song Groove", "I'm So Blue", "Don't Be Messin Round", "Streetwalker", "Fly Away", "Price Of Fame", "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu", "Je Ne Vieux Pas La Fin De Nous", "Bad (Afrojack rmx)", "Speed Demon (Nero rmx)", and "Bad (Afrojack club)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but that all makes for a very solid 90s crossover vibe – perfect for radio play a the time, not to mention heavy video rotation too – and definitely still another jewel in the crown of the King of Pop! Titles include "Remember The Time", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", "In The Closet", "Jam", "Dangerous", "Gone Too Soon", "Will You Be There", "Black Or White", "She Drives Me Wild", and "Can't Let Her Get Away". CD

Michael, if only you'd stayed at this level! This 1979 solo album by Michael is a killer batch of soul grooves – one of best moments ever, and a crowning cap to a stellar 70s run – both as a younger solo act, and with the whole Jackson family! Quincy Jones produced, and the album's got a funky undercurrent that's really stunning – clubby, yet plenty darn soulful, with a wickedly sly groove that others would try to copy for years, but never fully match. Titles include seminal groovers like "Rock With You", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Working Day And Night", "Girlfriend", "Off The Wall", "Burn This Disco Out" and more. Amazing amazing amazing work from the to-be-coronated King Of Pop! CD

This record was arranged by Billy Byers and Al Cohn and the orchestra was conducted by Byers and Quincy Jones. This is a collection of songs that were apparently some of Jo's personal favorites and she "[wanted to sing them] only because I love them" as declared in the liner notes. The tracks include "A Good Man Is Hard To Find", "Since I Fell For You", "In The Dark", "I'm A Fool To Want You", "Speak To Me Of Love", and "Besame Mucho". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of 70s soul classics from arranger Gene Page – back to back on a single CD! First up is Hot City – an excellent album of Barry White-styled instrumentals – put together by Barry's right hand man Gene Page, and produced by Barry himself! The record's one of the best that Gene Page ever cut – apart from his seminal blacksploitation soundtracks – and it's very much in the mode of White's Love Unlimited Orchestra albums from the same time, although perhaps with less of a string section – and more of an emphasis on funky drums at the bottom. Players are an all-star cast of LA studio groovers that includes David T Walker and Ray Parker on guitar, Ernie Watts and Wilton Felder on saxes, and Clarence McDonald on keyboards – and tracks are mostly originals by Page and White. Titles include "Jungle Eyes", "She's My Main Squeeze", "I Am Living In A World Of Gloom", "Satin Soul", and "To The Bone". Lovelock features Gene Page at the height of his 70s powers – using all the talents he forged as a background artist for other soul talents, and all the majesty he added to his soundtrack work – all focused nicely into a sweet set of warmly soulful grooves! The style's a bit clubby, but also has some wider depth too – maybe an undercurrent of fusion that comes from players like Lee Ritenour and David T Walker on guitar, Joe Sample and Sonny Burke on keyboards, and Oscar Brasher on trumpet – who find a way to work wonderfully alongside the albums vocals from singers Merry Clayton, Edna Wright, and Jim Gilstrap – all with a style that's not unlike some of the best Quincy Jones material of the time! As with Quincy, there's a sense of care and confidence that really holds the album together – on titles that include "Higher My Love", "Organ Grinder", "Into My Thing", "Wild Cherry", "Fantasy Woman", "Straw In the Wind", and "Together Whatever". CD

An excellent 70s funky thriller soundtrack! This one's been a lost gem for sample freaks for years – and no wonder, since it's filled with funky riffing, tight rhythm tracks, and fierce horn blasts. The score was written by David Shire to accompany a thriller about some guys who hijack a subway in New York – and it feels like similar work from the time by Quincy Jones or Roy Budd. The tracks really vary in length – from short moody atmospheric numbers, to longer flat-out jazzy ones – and the soundtrack's just about impossible to find in any other form. Titles include "Goodbye Hippie", "Mini Manhunt", "The Taking", "More Taking", "Money Montage", "I Am Police Officer", and "Blue Green Talk". CD

An excellent 70s funky thriller soundtrack! This one's been a lost gem for sample freaks for years – and no wonder, since it's filled with funky riffing, tight rhythm tracks, and fierce horn blasts. The score was written by David Shire to accompany a thriller about some guys who hijack a subway in New York – and it feels like similar work from the time by Quincy Jones or Roy Budd. The tracks really vary in length – from short moody atmospheric numbers, to longer flat-out jazzy ones – and the soundtrack's just about impossible to find in any other form. Titles include "Goodbye Hippie", "Mini Manhunt", "The Taking", "More Taking", "Money Montage", "I Am Police Officer", and "Blue Green Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic Vegas moment for Sinatra – with accompaniment by Count Basie, and arrangements from Quincy Jones, to boot! The set features some great spoken bits – really one of the first chances the American mainstream got to taste the Vegas vibe – and titles include "It Was A Very Good Year", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Come Fly With Me", "Street Of Dreams", "One For My Baby", and "My Kind Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon". CD

A classic Vegas moment for Sinatra – with accompaniment by Count Basie, and arrangements from Quincy Jones, to boot! The set features some great spoken bits – really one of the first chances the American mainstream got to taste the Vegas vibe – and titles include "It Was A Very Good Year", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Come Fly With Me", "Street Of Dreams", "One For My Baby", and "My Kind Of Town". CD

More hit magic from the Brothers Johnson – still working with Quincy Jones at this point, and virtually setting up the blueprint for jazzy soul in the 80s! Backings are by an all-star team, and Rod Temperton's helping out Quincy with arrangements – going for that snapping groove approach he worked to best effect with Heatwave. The sound is tight, but never too slick – and The Brothers keep a nice funky undercurrent on the bottom of most tracks. Titles include "Smilin On Ya", "You Make Me Wanna Wiggle", "Light Up The Night", "Stomp", "This Had To Be", and "Closer To The One You Love". CD

Michael, if only you'd stayed at this level! This 1979 solo album by Michael is a killer batch of soul grooves – one of his best moments ever, and a crowning cap to a stellar 70s run – both as a younger solo act, and with the whole Jackson family! Quincy Jones produced, and the album's got a funky undercurrent that's really stunning – clubby, yet plenty darn soulful, with a wickedly sly groove that others would try to copy for years, but never fully match. Titles include seminal groovers like "Rock With You", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Working Day And Night", "Girlfriend", "Off The Wall", "Burn This Disco Out" and more. Amazing amazing amazing work from the to-be-coronated King Of Pop! LP, Vinyl record album

Havana Candy, indeed – as singer Patti Austin's in her sweetest mode of the 70s – stepping off of years of background vocals for others, and really emerging as a great soul star on her own! Patti got the chance to cut some soul singles back in her early days – but work like this really unlocks her jazzier side, too – that spirit she developed in her work with Quincy Jones, taken to even more expressive heights on her own. Arrangements are by Larry Rosen and Dave Grusin – moody, mellow in a style that's perfect for Patti's voice – and players on the set include Grusin on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Richard Tee on keyboards, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion – all-star CTI players who really keep things rights! Titles include "I Need Somebody", "We're In Love", "Lost In The Stars", "Havana Candy", and "I Just Want To Know". CD

Yipes! This one made everyone a bucket of money – especially Quincy Jones, whose new Qwest imprint the record was one of the first to grace. George has come a long way from his roots with Jack McDuff here – but in a way that kind of has us impressed, as he's grooving away slickly on guitar, laying down some smooth vocals that we never would have imagined from his mid 60s recordings. Includes the massive hit "Give Me The Night", a cover of "Moody's Mood", and the tracks "Star Of A Story (X)", "Midnight Love Affair", "What's On Your Mind", and "Dinorah, Dinorah". The sound of a million supermarkets and elevators during the 80s! 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

Amazing is right! Timi's one of the great under-rated Uptown Soul talents of the 60s, and this is one of her best records. The album features stunning production, in the best Mercury pop soul style of the 60s – with Quincy Jones at the controls, and Bobby Scott arranging and conducting. Timi's voice is soulful and fragile, with a sound that's a bit like Dinah Washington on her Mercury recordings, or like other uptown soul singers of the time. Titles include "I Love My Man", "Johnny", "If", "All I Need Is You", "I'm Still Around", and "There Must Be A Way". LP, Vinyl record album