In memory of composer/producer Quincy Jones, I recommend these six tracks as some of his most compelling work:
- Just Once (featuring James Ingram) (Since 1981, this hit has been a mainstay of soft rock dedication programs. Its vocals and sentiments hold up in any era.)
- Quintessence (Longtime St. Louis jazz authority/DJ Leo Chears used to close his radio shows with this track. It's easy to hear why, as it brings to mind images of a ballroom closing for the evening.)
- Something's Cookin' (With an organ vibe this sly and cool, the bar for any movie or TV drama to use it should be pretty high.)
- Tell Me A Bedtime Story (This excellent version of the Herbie Hancock-penned tune starts on a fanciful note and builds to one of the most appealing crescendos I've ever heard. It pulls off the impressive trick of making an orchestra sound epic and intimate simultaneously, and thus, it's my favorite Quincy Jones track. I still remember what a great choice I thought it was for a respected jazz show's leadoff track in 1990.)
- Theme From "The Anderson Tapes" (This is one of the most impressive examples of genre-blending I've heard. Funk, jazz, electronica, easy listening, and international influences coalesce perfectly in this instrumental.)
- What's Going On (An expansive, well-sustained cover of the Marvin Gaye hit. Hubert Laws carries the melody effectively on the flute.)
