A really rare soundtrack from Quincy Jones – right up there with his jazziest gems of the 60s, but never issued on record at the time! The music is for an obscure film with Robert Wagner in the lead, and the sounds are a hip blend of the earlier jazz modes of Quincy, with some of the fuller charts that really showed an ever-evolving sense of tone and color! Jones manages to be both sophisticated and organic at the same time – mixing light strings with more down to earth jazz instrumentation – handled by an array of players that includes Dave Grusin and Don Randi on keyboards, Mike Barone on trombone, Jack Nimitz and Bud Shank on reeds, and Herb Ellis on guitar. There's a few nice moments of wordless vocals, and Gil Bernal sings the "Eyes Of Love" leadoff song – next to other cuts that include "Relay Chase", "Mad Pad/A Lack Of Lass", "Poker/Take Tea & Me", "Dental Fleece", "Don't Make Waves", "Fixation", "I Want You", "Trying Tie", and "Sudden Death". CD

Swingers unite! Quincy Jones did the score for this very strange film about two couples who decided to freak out their marriages a bit. Some of the material features some jazzy remakes of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", but other tracks have a nice groovy sound to them. Titles include a bunch of versions of "What the World Needs Now" – nice variations on the wonderful Burt Bacharach tune – plus instrumental cuts "Giggle Grass", "Flop Sweat", "Dynamite", and "Sweet Wheat". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great Japanese-only release – one that spins at 45rpm, which adds a lot of strong fidelity to these Quincy Jones Mercury recordings from the 60s! Titles include "Essom", "Ghana", "Caravan", "They Say It's Wonderful", and "Air Mail Special". LP, Vinyl record album

Quincy just never stopped putting out classic soulful albums! This one, from the early 80s, features a smooth jazzy blend of tracks, with a strong nod to the kinds of souped-up studio sounds that were being used by groups like The Crusaders, but also with a lot of the kind of soulfulness that made earlier albums so great. Features vocals by Patti Austin, and includes winners like "Ai No Corrida", "The Dude", "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me", "Velas", and "One Hundred Ways". 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

This set is divided into three parts – new songs recorded with a vocal group called Wattsline, the Award Winning Jones and the Grammy Winning Jones. The personnel involved with all of these songs is huge and they include George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Billy Preston, The Johnson Brothers, Toots Thielemans, Stevie Wonder, Billy Cobham, Grady Tate, Milt Jackson and many, many others. Tracks include "I Heard That!", "What Good Is A Song", "There's A Train Leavin", "Superstition", "Summer In The City", "Body Heat", "Killer Joe", "Theme From The Anderson Tapes" and "Walking In Space". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-driving live work from Quincy Jones – material recorded during one of the most productive, creative years of his large jazz ensemble! Material is from a very hip all-star group – and in addition to the sorts of tracks that Quincy was doing for ABC and Mercury during the period, there's also some longer, extended tunes that really showcase the growing complexity of Quincy's music – and that visionary quality that would make him one of the hippest bandleaders in the world by the end of the 60s! Players include Sahib Shihab on baritone, Phil Woods on alto, Budd Johnson and Eric Dixon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard and Benny Bailey on trumpets, Melba Liston and Curtis Fuller on trombones, Les Spann on guitar and flute, Patti Brown on piano, Stu Martin on drums, and Patato Valdes on congas – and long tracks include extended takes on "Stolen Moments"," Africana", and "Banja Luka" – plus other titles that include "Gwan Train", "Moanin", "Solitude", "Caravan", "Boy In The Tree", and "Summertime". CD

Featuring James Ingram. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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". CD

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

14 tracks. CD

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 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

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

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". LP, Vinyl record album

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! 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". 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

Quincy just never stopped putting out classic soulful albums! This one, from the early 80s, features a smooth jazzy blend of tracks, with a strong nod to the kinds of souped-up studio sounds that were being used by groups like The Crusaders, but also with a lot of the kind of soulfulness that made earlier albums so great. Features vocals by Patti Austin, and includes winners like "Ai No Corrida", "The Dude", "Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me", "Velas", and "One Hundred Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Nice one from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – working with arranger Quincy Jones! You Smile – The Song Begins comes at a pretty interesting point in which Herb was still working in the Spanish-inflected, jazzy instrumental groove of earlier years – but in a fresh way after a few quiet years. He's also starting to bring in the tighter, soul-based rhythmic sensibility he would more fully explore in the years to come! Bright, wonderful work – with a Bacharach arrangement on "I Might Frighten Her Away", Lani Hall vocals on "Save The Sunlight", and loads of great tunes including "Fox Hunt", "Legend Of The One Eyed Sailor", "Promises, Promises", "Last Tango In Paris", "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Dida" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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

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". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

Piano, trumpet, and accordion – a really beautiful combination here in the hands of three masters of their instruments – trumpeter Paolo Fresu, accordionist Richard Galliano, and pianist Jan Lundgren! The set isn't the first this trio has recorded – and it definitely shows their deepening sympathies over time – with a special balance of space and sound, quiet and melody, of the sort that less comfortable musical partners wouldn't have been able to carry off this well! Most songs run for just a few minutes, but work together to make for a lovely poem in sound – created from original numbers by the members of the trio, and well-chosen gems by Michel Legrand, Quincy Jones, and others. Tracks include "Blues Sur Seine", "Love Land", "Pavese", "Prayer", "The Magic Stroll", "Love Theme From The Getaway", "Le Jardin Des Fees", "Del Soldato In Trincea", and "Human Requiem". CD

Mid 50s recordings with Dizzy's big bands, with sidemen that include Quincy Jones, JJ Johnson, Hank Mobley, Lucky Thompson, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Wynton Kelly, Billy Mitchell, Candido, Al Grey, and many more. LP, Vinyl record album

Really tremendous work from Lesley Gore – and just the sort of record to show that she's way more than just another girl singer from the 60s! The sound here is incredibly groovy right from the start – a mix not just of the romping arrangements of Claus Ogerman (in his best Soul Searching mode), and the production of Quincy Jones – but also of Gore's great vocals, which have this surprising tinge of sexuality – and a depth that comes from the unique style of folding over her lead in the studio, to create a wide-flanged vocal approach! There's a sense of guts and lust here that goes past the usual weepy girl pop modes – a style that undeniably had an influence on other singers like Dusty Springfield or Cilla Black. Titles include "Hey Now", "You've Come Back", "Say Goodbye", "Live & Learn", "Movin Away", "It's Just About This Time", and "I Wish I Were A Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Really tremendous work from Lesley Gore – and just the sort of record to show that she's way more than just another girl singer from the 60s! The sound here is incredibly groovy right from the start – a mix not just of the romping arrangements of Claus Ogerman (in his best Soul Searching mode), and the production of Quincy Jones – but also of Gore's great vocals, which have this surprising tinge of sexuality – and a depth that comes from the unique style of folding over her lead in the studio, to create a wide-flanged vocal approach! There's a sense of guts and lust here that goes past the usual weepy girl pop modes – a style that undeniably had an influence on other singers like Dusty Springfield or Cilla Black. Titles include "Hey Now", "You've Come Back", "Say Goodbye", "Live & Learn", "Movin Away", "It's Just About This Time", and "I Wish I Were A Boy". CD features 13 more bonus tracks too – including "That's The Boy", "After He Takes Me Home", "Consolation Prize", "A Girl In Love", "What Am I Gonna Do With You", and "You Didn't Look Round". CD

Groovy 60s work from the great Lesley Gore – produced by Quincy Jones, with titles that include "I Don't Care", "What's A Girl Supposed To Do", "A Girl In Love", "Before & After", "Just Another Fool", "Baby That's Me", and "No Matter What You Do". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record – not only a fab 60s soundtrack, but a rare non-Blue Note 60s album by Herbie Hancock! The set was recorded for the film Blow Up – an incredibly dark thriller by Michaelangelo Antonioni, set in swinging London of the 60s, which provided a very groovy backdrop for Herbie's score! The tunes get plenty groovy on this set – dancing out with a combination of fast rhythms, nice piano and organ, and some of the jazzy flourishes you'd expect from a Quincy Jones soundtrack of similar vintage. The Yardbirds also make an appearance on the cut "Stroll On" – which features in one of the best scenes in the film – and other Herbie Hancock tracks include "The Thief", "Verushka", "The Naked Camera", "Bring Down The Birds", "The Kiss", and "The Bed". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

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

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

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! LP, Vinyl record album

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

With some very groovy arrangements from Quincy Jones! LP, Vinyl record album

A keyboard classic from Henry Mancini – and one of his greatest soundtracks ever! The album's far far different than most of Mancini's other work – a stripped-down, slow-funk batch of tracks that mix together keyboards and organ, riffing out over rhythm and strings, in a mode that would make Quincy Jones weep! The main theme is a stunner – and it rolls out again and again in different versions with a nice moogy bit behind it, sounding almost like an Italian soundtrack tune – but with a lot more spacey soul! The rest of the soundtrack follows suit – sliding forward in a brilliantly slinky way – all without any common cliches of the time, and an amazingly balanced groove. Titles include "Tail Gate", "Jackie's Theme", "Dog Eat Dog", "Theme From Thief Who Came To Dinner", "Getaway", and "First Job". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 17 more numbers that include rare additional soundtrack tunes, a few demos, and even some odd "country source music. Great stuff all around – and put together with sublime Film Score mastering, photos, and notes. 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

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

Early work from Noel Pointer – recorded in a smooth, soulful mode with plenty of help on arrangements and production from Dave Grusin! Like Dave's best work from the time, the set's got a feel that's tight, but never as commercial or cloying as mainstream fusion a few years later – and Noel's sweet work on electric violin is set up nicely with keyboards from Dave, guitar from Eric Gale, drums from Steve Gadd, and percussion from Ralph MacDonald. Noel sings a bit on the set, but even better are the vocals from Patti Austin, Gwen Guthrie, Yolanda McCullough, and others – who flesh out the backgrounds on some tunes. Titles include "Staying With You", "Movin In", "Superwoman", "Stardust Lady", "Hold On", and the extended "Roots Suite", based on Quincy Jones music for the show! CD