This man needs no introduction, his creative legacy speaks for itself, and it puts him in the company of the select few who have changed popular music forever either directly or indirectly, or in his case, both. What is perhaps not so well known is the body of work he created as a jazz arranger, conductor, producer and performer in the 50′s and 60′s, which is what this excellent compilation album is all about.
I bought this record second hand some time ago because it contained the now ubiquitous “Soul Bossa Nova” track so prominently featured in the Austin Powers movie series, but over time, it has grown a lot in parallel with my ever increasing interest in jazz, and the songs presented here cover a wide variety of styles from latin to swing, easy listening, big-band, and a few standards mixed with some pretty wild improvisational stuff.
All the material is arranged and orchestrated by Quincy, about half is written and composed by him, the rest comes from such prominent musical minds as Henri Mancini, Nate Adderley, Benny Goodman, Lalo Schifrin and believe it or not, The Rolling Stones in the form of “I Can Get No Satisfaction”!
The production and performances are immaculate from beginning to end, and there is about a 50 / 50 spread between up-tempo and down-tempo numbers (most of the tracks in the former category are well suited to the dance floor). All in all, it is an album well worth seeking out for whatever reason one might have, and it provides an interesting insight into the early career of a creative genius.
Homepage: Quincy Jones
Purchase & audio samples: Not available – this album is out of print.
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