Body Heat Quincy Jones Artist

At the time, {|Body Heat|} was a breathtaking leap for {|Quincy Jones|}, right into the very heart of mainstream commercial {|soul|} -- and it turned out to be very lucrative, rising to number six on the {|pop|} album charts. {|Jazz|} per se has been... Read more

At the time, {|Body Heat|} was a breathtaking leap for {|Quincy Jones|}, right into the very heart of mainstream commercial {|soul|} -- and it turned out to be very lucrative, rising to number six on the {|pop|} album charts. {|Jazz|} per se has been left far behind but the same musical sensibility, the same brilliant production skills, and the same knack for what will appeal to a wider audience are still at work, and the result is a surprisingly pleasing album. Amazingly, {|Jones|} still draws a constellation of {|jazz|} stars into his studio bands ({|Herbie Hancock|}, {|Frank Rosolino|}, {|Hubert Laws|}, {|Jerome Richardson|}, {|Grady Tate|}, {|Bob James|}), plus {|soul|} names like {|Billy Preston|}, {|Bernard Purdie|} and the soon-to-be-ubiquitous guitarist {|Wah Wah Watson|}. The emphasis, though, is first on the honeyed {|soul|} vocals from a variety of newcomers, and second on the funky grooves laced with the buzz of now-prized analogue synthesizers and wah-wah guitars. There is one reminder of {|Jones|}' {|big-band|} days, a busy {|electronic|} retro-fitting of his classic chart of {|Benny Golson|}'s {|Along Came Betty,|} where one can hear {|Laws|} blow at some length. Otherwise, to paraphrase {|Jones|} himself, if you check your {|jazz|} boots at the door, you might enjoy this. ~ Richard S. Ginell Less