Review by Thom Jurek
Box sets like this reflect what is almost incomprehensible in the 21st century: that headline musicians could be, if they wised as recording artists. They could cut and albums have multiple albums released in a year on well known labels, and distributed to the masses. This four disc box that covers three years in Quincy Jones' long career contains a total of nine albums. Seven of these titles are listed under his own name--I Dig Dancers, Around The World, QJ at Newport, The Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones, the classic Quintessence (one of two offerings not on Mercury here; it was released on Impluse!), and Bossa Nova. Another is the collaborative album Basin Street, recorded with Billy Eckstine. Also included is the hard to find original score for for Arne Sucksdorff's film, Pojken i trädet (trans: the Boy In The Tree), and lastly, Sarah Vaughan's You're Mine You--which he arranged and conducted (it was issued by Roulette). These discs contain nearly five hours of music--285 minutes to be exact--and reflect a hell of a quality run in Jones' catalogue. While the Enlightenment label is not exactly renowned for is quality reissues, the price is right and the sound--mono--is more than acceptable.
=================================================
It was during the 1960s that Quincy Jones became a world renowned Jazz musician and composer of film soundtracks, but it was not until about the middle of the decade that success of this nature began to come his way, soon after he had composed the score for Oscar nominated 'The Pawnbroker'. Indeed, during the first few years of the 1960s he lived as a working musician, bandleader and the musical director of Barclay Records - the French imprint of Mercury - but could barely earn enough to pay the bills. This however, did not prevent Quincy from continuing to perform and release music of a quite superlative nature. While still in Paris, Quincy, along with his Jones Boys, recorded his first album of the 1960s, the upbeat 'I Dig Dancers'. Released in 1961, his follow up, titled 'Around the World', was cut back in New York (to where he had returned in October 1960) and featured Quincy's arrangements of songs and tunes from - just as it said on the tin - around the world. Over the next two years Jones continued releasing music at a prolific rate whilst drawing from influences far and wide, and by the end of 1962 his profile had risen considerably as he begun to be noticed in circles outside of the Jazz community. This 4CD collection brings together the nine albums Quincy Jones made during 1960 - 1962, providing a comprehensive overview of a musician on the cusp of greatness.
Tracks:
-------
Disc 1
01. Pleasingly Plump
02. G'Wan Train
03. Moonglow
04. Tone Poem
05. You Turned The Tables On Me
06. Chinese Checkers
07. Our Love Is Here To Stay
08. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
09. Trouble On My Mind
10. A Sunday Kind Of Love
11. Hot Sake
12. Strike Up The Band
13. Africana
14. Meadowlands
15. Rico Vacilon
16. Under Paris Skies
17. Mack The Knife
18. Manolete De Espana
19. Baia (Brazil)
20. Come Back To Sorrento
21. Dear Old Stockholm
Disc 2
01. Meet B.B.
02. The Boy In The Tree
03. Evening In Paris
04. Air Mail Special
05. Lester Leaps In
06. G'Wan Train
07. Banja Luka
08. Ghana
09. Air Mail Special
10. Banja Luka
11. Bess, You Is My Women Now
12. Solitude
13. Stolen Moments
14. Moanin'
Disc 3
01. Main Title
02. The Boy In The Tree
03. Crucifixion March
04. Fulla' Fira
05. The Quintessence
06. Robot Portrait
07. Little Karen
08. Straight, No Chaser
09. For Lena and Lennie
10. Hard Sock Dance
11. Invitation
12. The Twitch
13. Alright, Okay, You Win
14. I'm Falling For You, Fool That I Am, Everything I Have is for You
15. In The Still Of The Night
16. Don't Get Around Much Anymore / I'm Just A Lucky So and So / Caravan / Sophisticated Lady
17. Work Song
18. Ma (She's Making Eyes At Me)
Disc 4
01. Soul Bossa Nova
02. Boogie Stop Shuffle
03. Desafinado
04. Manha De Carnaval
05. Se E Tarde Me Pardoa
06. On The Street Where You Live
07. Samba De Uma Nota So
08. Lalo Bossa Nova
09. Serenata
10. Chega De Saudade
11. You're Mine You
12. The Best Is Yet To Come
13. Witchcraft
14. The Second Time Around
15. I Could Write A Book
16. Maria
17. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
18. Fly Me To The Moon
19. So Long
20. On Green Dolphin Street