Basie & Beyond
To those post-baby boomers weaned onMichael Jackson'sThriller, this straight-ahead jazz date by the superproducerQuincy Jones, withCount Basieorchestra arranger Sammy Nestico, may seem out of place--a relic of Jones's distant jazz past. But to Q's old-school fans who grew up hearing him withRay CharlesandLionel Hampton, and on albums likeThis is How I Feel About Jazz(1957) andWalkin' in Space, this CD is a long-awaited return to his roots.Jones arranged and produced a number of Basie LPs in the 1960s, and he also arranged the music whenFrank Sinatraand Basie convened on classics likeIt Might As Well Be Spring, so it should surprise no one how wellBasie and Beyondswings. The band is composed of topnotch West Coast session men, featuring flutistHubert Laws, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., and tenor saxophonistErnie Watts. Along with a few no-nonsense tunes by Nestic--including "Ya Gotta Try ... Harder!," "The Joy of Cookin'," and "Out of the Night"--the date features Jones's several rare 1950s and '60s tunes: a midtempo update of "Jelly Roll" highlighted by tenor saxophonist Watts'sColtrane-ish lines. TheTadd Dameron-tinged ballad "Quintessence" and the late-night Kansas City stroll of "The Witching Hour" show Q's still got it.--Eugene Holley Jr.