Quincy Jones RIP

[Teasing the Korean]

Going through my Quincy Jones jazz LPs, I was once again reminded of the distinctive aroma of Mercury vinyl. No other record label smells like this; acetates are as close as you will get.  I pulled out Great Wide World and I Dig Dancers, and without even taking the LPs out of the sleeves, it hit me instantly.

[JSngry]

Was he the last living member of the 1953 Lionel Hampton Paris band?

[soulpope]

With Sarah Vaughan @ Paris in 1958 (Photography : Jean-Pierre Leloir) ....

[Gheorghe]

I must admit the only Quincy Jones I had heard was when Herwig Wurzer , the Austrian Jazz DJ of the 70´s spinned a record of some straight ahead and very fine big band jazz doin "Straight No Chaser". It was very fine and I had it on caseta since I recorded each weekly hour of "Jazz Shop" on casetofon. 
It was a bit like the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band, anyway at that nivel of playing. 
But later possiblly zero, since I only listen to jazz jazz jazz. The last time I heard something done by him was on the 1991 concert of Miles Davis doing old music again....

[Rabshakeh]

Interesting that the Obits so far appear to be missing what I always regarded as two milestones: the excellent George Benson single, which led the way to the Michael Jackson successes, and the slightly dubious (but surely obit-appropriate) fact that his 1960s jazz hits include what would become the Theme to Austin Powers.

Edited November 5 by Rabshakeh

[mjazzg]

Shhh...don't upset the Jazz Police with this mention of commercial popularity 😀

l saw Austin Powers mentioned at least once yesterday, Channel 4 news I think maybe also in the Guardian's coverage. 

I suspect writers are finding it pretty difficult to get everything in within their word counts, a testimony to his wide range. The Petridis piece in the Guardian is good but even that ends up reading a bit like a list of his collaborations through the years.

[Rabshakeh]

I re-read that Beatles interview he gave a few years ago around once every six months. Those no-playing motherf$¥kers.

[mikeweil]

11 hours ago, JSngry said:

Was he the last living member of the 1953 Lionel Hampton Paris band?

I think so:

Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, Walter Williams (tp) Quincy Jones (tp,p) Jimmy Cleveland, Buster Cooper, Al Hayse (tb) Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega (as) Clifford Scott, Clifford Solomon (ts) Oscar Estelle (bar) Lionel Hampton (vib,vcl) Billy Mackel (g) Monk Montgomery (el-b) Alan Dawson, Curley Hamner (d) Sonny Parker (vcl)

 

[ghost of miles]

Here’s a tribute I posted on the Night Lights site that incorporates his visit to Bloomington in 2010 to accept an honorary degree from IU:

Quincy Jones Brought Us Together

[Mark13]

The only cool record in my dad's collection was Smackwater Jack, which he loved for the Ironside-theme. and the version of Cast Your Fate...'  It's probably the first jazzrecord that I ever heard. 

Over the past 50 years I've picked up most of his stuff and I like it all - regardless genre. The man was a giant.

RIP

[clifford_thornton]

I like this one:

Also, "Mau Mau" is an incredible tune. Once I heard it I never forgot it! (doesn't hurt that the vamp on which it sits is somehow familiar... 🤔)

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, rdavenport said:

Haha, I also return to it from time to time, including yesterday. It's quite a ride - I think it was discussed on here at the time - 2018 I think?

That rings a bell. 

[Gheorghe]

17 hours ago, mikeweil said:

I think so:

Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, Walter Williams (tp) Quincy Jones (tp,p) Jimmy Cleveland, Buster Cooper, Al Hayse (tb) Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega (as) Clifford Scott, Clifford Solomon (ts) Oscar Estelle (bar) Lionel Hampton (vib,vcl) Billy Mackel (g) Monk Montgomery (el-b) Alan Dawson, Curley Hamner (d) Sonny Parker (vcl)

 

Oh, as I posted yesterday I heard only once from radio on track of Straight No Chaser and it was said that it is Quincy Jones band. I didn´t even know what instrument he had played, okay, trumpet, but maybe with Clifford Brown and Art Farmer in ONE Band , that is was counted most then in 1953. 

I had no idea of somethin until he figured on that Miles Davis Montreux, playing the old music what Miles  swore he will never do again.....

[mikeweil]

On 11/6/2024 at 7:54 AM, Gheorghe said:

Oh, as I posted yesterday I heard only once from radio on track of Straight No Chaser and it was said that it is Quincy Jones band.

Must have been from this classic album. Get a copy, and one of his first, "This Is how I Fell bout Jazz". Both excellent albums. And any recording of his 1960 band that toured Europe is great. He was one of the greatest arrannging talents on the scene among those emerging from the 1950's scene. 

 

Edited November 7 by mikeweil

[Gheorghe]

19 hours ago, mikeweil said:

Must have from this classic album. Get a copy, and one of his first, "This Is how I Fell bout Jazz". Both excellent albums. And any recording of his 1960 band that toured Europe is great. He was one of the greatest arrannging talents on the scene among those emerging from the 1950's scene. 

 

That´s possible. The "Straight No Chaser" by a Quincy Jones band sounded very fine, but I heard that 50 years ago. 

Somehow, maybe due to his non jazz activities later he became a more forgotten man in the pure jazz circles. At least I don´t remember that fellow musicians, from my or from older generation ever mentioned him. 
But sure, where the money is, can´t be anyone that super idealist, who prefers to live in a shabby hotel room only to play what he believes in, or make some money and have a villa with swimming pool or stuff....

But I am a "komplette Null" if it is other music than jazz, so I never had no idea what all those Michael Jackson´s and Prince´s sound like. 

If I MUST listen to somethin else than jazz, I prefer german shnultzes like Heino, Freddy Quinn, Rex Dildo or how they are called, that´s where I really can laugh about and feel fine, lookin at them on TV and hearing what they produce.....

[mikeweil]

Quincy never lost his jazz connection. The jazz guys loved him and played their best for him because they knew he was one of them. The two albums I recommended are brimming with great solos as he wrote the perfect foil for them.

Edited November 7 by mikeweil

[JSngry]

And R&B classic with a Jazz classic trombone solo by Frank Rosolino.

[Big Beat Steve]

On 11/5/2024 at 4:31 PM, clifford_thornton said:

I like this one:

Also, "Mau Mau" is an incredible tune. Once I heard it I never forgot it! (doesn't hurt that the vamp on which it sits is somehow familiar... 🤔)

Yes, that's a nice one.
I have the original US pressing on Argo. (Strange ... Americans playing the European rleease, Yurpeens playing the US release )
In the same manner, the late 50s arrangements that Quincy Jones did for Harry Arnold's big band merit re-listening any time.

[mikeweil]

17 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

..... Rex Dildo or how they are called .....

ROTF LMAO

The Sweden episode is well documented on these compilations:

https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/benny-bailey-albums/5332-in-sweden-1957-1959-sessions.html

https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/quincy-jones-harry-arnold-albums/4571-quincy-jones-harry-arnold-big-band-jazz.html

[soulpope]

4 hours ago, mikeweil said:

The Sweden episode is well documented on these compilations:

https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/benny-bailey-albums/5332-in-sweden-1957-1959-sessions.html

Excellent ....

[Gheorghe]

6 hours ago, mikeweil said:

ROTF LMAO

The Sweden episode is well documented on these compilations:

https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/benny-bailey-albums/5332-in-sweden-1957-1959-sessions.html

https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/quincy-jones-harry-arnold-albums/4571-quincy-jones-harry-arnold-big-band-jazz.html

That Benny Bailey thing must be very fine. Joe Harris I think was Dizzy´s drummer in the BigBand. Seems that there was a lotta stuff goin´ around in Suedia during that time. I have a rare Tommy Potter album also stars as well as from US as from Suedia like Rolf Ericson who is tops, and greats like Freddie Redd and also Joe Harris on drums. Imagine the unsung hero of thousands of hours of bop playing for Bird and Diz and Bud and so on, when there still were no pickups for the bass fiddle, you had to cut thru the band just having enormous chops..... 

 

[Big Beat Steve]

12 hours ago, mikeweil said:

ROTF LMAO

The Sweden episode is well documented on these compilations:

https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/benny-bailey-albums/5332-in-sweden-1957-1959-sessions.html

https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/quincy-jones-harry-arnold-albums/4571-quincy-jones-harry-arnold-big-band-jazz.html

The first one has the merit of including some relatively rare EPs conveniently all in one place

But the second one is a hodgepodge. One of those annoying habits of FS and its subsidiaries to recompile sessions by some secondary and tertiary criteria such as a specific number of musicians ("complete quartet" and the like) or one specific musician from the lineup (as Quincy Jones here).  Tracks 1 to 10 plus 15 to 19 are part of the "Harry Arnold Big Band Classics 1957-58" reissue (the key recordings of the legendary "Jazztone Mystery Band") on Dragon. Isn't it so that anyone listening to those recordings would do so on account of the Harry Arnold band in the first place, whereas Quincy Jones in the overall picture of things is more of a nice add-on and icing on the cake? So why stop short of the whole thing as reisseud e.g. on Dragon?
And tracks 11 to 14 are no live tracks (contrary to what the FS website says) but studio "moonlighting" recordings by part of the Lionel Hampton band during its 1953 tour (sort of the Swedish equivalent of the "Clifford Brown in Paris" sessions on a smaller scale), also widely available on various reissue labels such as Esquire and Metronome.
In short, fairly pointless overall. At least at full price.
 

Edited November 8 by Big Beat Steve

[mikeweil]

On 11/8/2024 at 1:01 PM, Big Beat Steve said:

The first one has the merit of including some relatively rare EPs conveniently all in one place

But the second one is a hodgepodge. One of those annoying habits of FS and its subsidiaries to recompile sessions by some secondary and tertiary criteria such as a specific number of musicians ("complete quartet" and the like) or one specific musician from the lineup (as Quincy Jones here).  Tracks 1 to 10 plus 15 to 19 are part of the "Harry Arnold Big Band Classics 1957-58" reissue (the key recordings of the legendary "Jazztone Mystery Band") on Dragon. Isn't it so that anyone listening to those recordings would do so on account of the Harry Arnold band in the first place, whereas Quincy Jones in the overall picture of things is more of a nice add-on and icing on the cake? So why stop short of the whole thing as reisseud e.g. on Dragon?
And tracks 11 to 14 are no live tracks (contrary to what the FS website says) but studio "moonlighting" recordings by part of the Lionel Hampton band during its 1953 tour (sort of the Swedish equivalent of the "Clifford Brown in Paris" sessions on a smaller scale), also widely available on various reissue labels such as Esquire and Metronome.
In short, fairly pointless overall. At least at full price.
 

Thanks for the info. I am not that familiar with the Harry Arnold stuff and had only a superficial look at it.

Edited November 9 by mikeweil

[Teasing the Korean]

For those who didn't know, here is an alternate arrangement of the theme from Deadly Affair, "Who Needs Forever," by Astrud Gilberto, but with Walter Wanderley rather than Q.  I prefer the version on the LP, but this is an interesting take.  It was released as a single, and appears as a bonus track on the CD of the Astrud/Wanderley Verve album.

 

And the film/album version, with a very lush and exotic arrangement by Q (or perhaps one of his assistants):

 

[Teasing the Korean]

I'm not a fan of Andy Williams, but I don't think I've heard a better vocal version of the theme from The Pawnbroker than his.