js These Real Gone Jazz label compilations are so low priced and look so cheap that its hard not too assume that “Quincy Jones, Eight Classic Albums” is just some sloppily thrown together tracks with no particular rhyme and reason, but fortunately, quite the opposite is true. Instead, what get on this four CD set is an almost complete collection of all of Quincy’s early big band music, with no meaningless flotsam and jetsam to clutter things up. The only Jones’ big band album that did not make the collection is “Home Again”, which could be seen as much a Harry Arnold album as a Quincy Jones album, which I assume is why it was probably picked for exclusion. All the other Quincy late 50s to early 60s big band albums are here, including the studio albums from his first up through “I Dig Dancers”, plus two live albums. One of the best features about this comp is that RGJ went the extra step and included a couple albums that were recorded in that late 50s to early 60s time frame, but not released until the mid 80s. Its also nice that the two live albums are isolated on one CD, allowing for a three CD shuffle with just the studio albums if you want.

The music included on here ranges from top notch big band jazz to artsy orchestrated pop music and sometimes somewhat cheezy ‘cute’ dance numbers and other products of early 60s American suburban hipness. The most salient feature of all of Quincy’s orchestral work is the easily recognizable ‘Quincy sound’, a very modern sound that influenced much of the music world for decades to come. The Quincy sound was a bright sparkle voiced with slinky muted horn sections and punctuated with subtle high end tone colors. There are a lot of excellent musicians in these big bands, as well as a lot of great solos from folks like Phil Woods, Zoot Sims and Clark Terry. In fact, a virtual who’s who of late 50s jazz artists seem to find a spot in Quincy’s band at some time or another.

If you have any interest in Quincy Jones’ early career as a big band leader, or if you want to check out one of the more influential ensembles for early 60s jazz and pop orchestration, I don’t think you could find a better compilation than this one by RGJ.