Quincy Jones - This Is How I Feel About Jazz (1976 Japanese ABC Mono LP)

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Sleeve: EX
Obi: EX

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Quincy Jones - This Is How I Feel About Jazz Vinyl LP - 1976 Japanese ABC Jazz Library Mono Reissue

Quincy Jones' 1956 big band debut showcases his arranging genius across six tracks recorded over three September sessions in New York. Produced by Creed Taylor and featuring rotating personnel including Charles Mingus and Paul Chambers on bass, Milt Jackson on vibraphone, Phil Woods and Lucky Thompson on saxophones, Art Farmer on trumpet, and Hank Jones and Billy Taylor on piano, the album demonstrates Jones' ability to craft sophisticated arrangements that balance ensemble precision with individual expression. Released in Japan in 1976 as part of ABC's Jazz Library series and manufactured by Nippon Columbia, this mono pressing captures Jones at age 23, already displaying the arranging skills that would make him one of music's most successful producers and arrangers.

The album's six tracks showcase Jones' versatility as arranger. "Walkin'" transforms the Miles Davis standard into a big band showcase, while "A Sleepin' Bee" demonstrates his gift for ballad arrangement. "Sermonette" and "Stockholm Sweetnin'" feature Milt Jackson's vibraphone adding distinctive colour to the ensemble, while the closing two tracks highlight Herbie Mann's flute alongside Billy Taylor's piano. The personnel across the three sessions reads like a who's who of 1950s jazz: Mingus' bass work adds rhythmic complexity, Woods and Thompson provide contrasting tenor saxophone approaches, and the trumpet section featuring Farmer, Royal, and Wilder delivers both power and finesse.

Jones' arrangements honour the big band tradition while incorporating bebop's harmonic sophistication and contemporary arranging techniques. Each track balances written sections with improvised solos, the arrangements providing frameworks that enhance rather than constrain individual expression.