The question is: Who did the most to stay relevant in an unforced and creative fashion for the longest time?
The only possible three answers are Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Quincy Jones.
For me it ends up being between Herbie and Quincy —
— and in the final analysis, I give it to Q. From Frank Sinatra and Count Basie to Michael Jackson and “We are the World.” Incredible.
(Someday I would like to survey the film and television scores properly. There is so much there and so much of it is more idiosyncratic than one would would expect. Just one example: In terms of funky TV themes, nothing tops Sanford and Son. Legendary bassist Chuck Rainey deals out not just the low end, but also high register double-stops like a guitar. Rainey also accidentally plays an audible wrong note at the end. We call that a “clam,” and, indeed, this is about the biggest clam in pop culture that I can think of. Q left the clam in on purpose because the show was a comedy.)
For Q’s 90th birthday I wrote up a personal favorite, Walking in Space.
This morning I’m in Detroit visiting Mark Stryker, who contributed an important article for JazzTimes, “Quincy Jones in the 1950s.” Mark spun a few of the actual LPs for me on his deluxe hi-fi.
Frédéric Adrian (author of a new French biography of Aretha Franklin) posted a photo of Quincy Jones with Alan Dawson, Gigi Gryce & Clifford Brown in Paris 1953.
It doesn't get a whole lot of notice, but the soundtrack to They Call Me Mr Tibbs is fire. Absolutely cracking band. Billy Preston cuts sick on Hammond. And, it seems, only ever released on vinyl.
It's also fun to play in Toshi Clinch's arrangement; it sorts out the feelers from the mere readers.
I like Peggy Lee’s album “Blues Cross Country” which was recorded with an excellent big band with arrangements by Quincy. He also conducted the band. Among many others the band included Benny Carter, Buddy Collette, and Jimmy Rowles. Good Peggy Lee is very good indeed!