Quincy Jones: "Q's Jook Joint"

By Maximillian Muhammad

The baddest, Quincy Jones, who can relate to the "Hood" and to Beverly Hills, has worked in all types of music, from the biggest names to unknowns. He's obviously got business savvy and is just a first class person. Be it "Vibe" (he's the owner in association with Time-Warner, among other projects), chairman on the Grammys, handling the Oscars, writing many, many, many scores for TV ("Sanford and Son," "Roots") and film. He's also produced shows like "The FreshPrince of Belair," "Jenny Jones" and "In the House." You name it, this Man can or has done it. From Frank Sinatra and Billy Eckstine to the production of the biggest selling album in the history of music, "Thriller," by Michael Jackson. He started playing the trumpet with Count Basie and his band, developed a friendship with Ray Charles early on, produced a major hit for a white female artist in the 60s, Leslie Gore's "It's My Party." His career also includes winning all kind of awards and respect for setting a standard of excellence on his Qwest Records label.

The Man never sleeps. Past records in the last few years by him have included "The Dude," the best of them, the New Jack inflicted "Back on the Block," which never got me to the corner stop sign. While it did have a great amount of talent on it, such as Miles Davis, George Benson, QD3 (Quincy's son, who does background music on "The Fresh Prince" and "In the House," in addition to working with Ice Cube, Too Short, among others), Tevin Campbell (who is on Qwest), James Ingram (who stole "The Dude from Quincy), Barry White, El Debarge and Al B. Sure!, and the classic "Secret Garden," it fell short.

The same formula comes again on "Jook Joint," which in typically Quincy fashion covers all forms of the African-American experience in sounds, time, and history. He reunites with "Rock with You" and "Thriller" songwriter genius Rod Temperton on "Slow Jams," featuring Babyface, Barry White, SWV. Q sheds light on a new artist as usual with Tamia on "You Put a Move on my Heart," a great colllaboration with R. Kelly on "Heaven's Girl," and shines with the help of Brandy, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson on the groovin' "Stuff like That," but that is it. This album suffers from being unoriginal... and please, someone get Q back with the Brothers Johnson. Not another album with a another cover of theirs and, above all, please don't cover "Rock with You" prematurely again.

As much as I applaud the reminders of our rich livelihood as African-Americans in life and in music, I feel Quincy still can do better. Mr.Q has always been on top of the pulse of music and issues (producing "We are the World"), but may be wearing so many hats might have slowed down the progress. Believe me, anybody that's anybody, particuliary a produce,r is watching the best and whatever Quincy does will be watched with great intensity. So I'm hoping for that original spin again. 'Cuz Q stands for many things that the last two records don't...that being quality and not Grammys!!!!!!!