lockdown : vinyl find #26.

For the first months and years of record collecting, I wanted to buy all the Quincy Jones records I could find. Of course, I knew it would be impossible to own all the records ever released by Mr. Jones. But I could have the essentials. 

What could be more about the essentials than a compilation ? 

When I saw this record, I didn't know it was a compilation. But the cover was awesome. I bought it in London, but I don't remember where exactly. The city is so full of records that it's impossible to remember the digging sessions that happened there. And it's not a European issue, but the Brazilian one, the only one not having a gatefold sleeve apparently... and the only one on a single LP, which means I only have half of the original compilation. Shit. 

But why Quincy Jones ? Plainly and simply because he's the biggest music producer still alive. Because he has shaped the sound of today's music, starting from the 1950's, first as a musician, then as a band and orchestra leader, then as a producer, then as an entrepreneur. He's done it all. He's the wizard. He's essential, and so is his music. 

The compilation mixes songs written by Quincy Jones with songs written by others (especially Henry Mancini, with whom it's difficult not to compare his career as a soundtrack composer). It is fully instrumental and clearly oriented to relax. 

Quincy Jones - Ndeda.

Here's the first side of the (first record of the) compilation, from YouTube.

Edit : I didn't know that Netflix is currently running a documentary on Quincy Jones. Should be worth it...