Quincy Jones ~ Sounds... And Stuff Like That!!

With ears dead set on the trends of the moment but still drawing now and then on his jazz past, Quincy Jones came up with another classy-sounding pop album loaded with his ever-growing circle of musician friends. Disco was king in 1978 and Jones bows low with the ebullient dance hit "Stuff Like That" -- which is several cuts above the norm for that genre -- along with a healthy quota of elegantly produced soul ballads. Yet amidst the pop stuff, Jones still manages to do something fresh and memorable within the jazz sphere with a gorgeous chart of Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story." Hancock himself sits in impeccably on electric piano, and violinist Harry Lookofsky painstakingly overdubs one of Hancock's transcribed solos on 15 violins. Despite the cast of hundreds that is now de rigueur for Quincy Jones, the record does not sound over-produced due to the silken engineering and careful deployment of forces.

tracks 1
tracks 2
1. Stuff Like That (6:18)
2. I'm Gonna Miss You In The Morning (3:32)
3. Love, I Never Had It So Good (5:15)
4. Tell Me A Bedtime Story (6:46)
5. Love Me By Name (4:11)
6. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) (5:27)
7. Takin' It To The Streets (4:24)

Anita Kerr ~ Hallelujah Guitars [1976]

Arranged and Conducted by Anita Kerr. Produced by Anita Kerr and Alex Grob.

tracks:
01. Brighten The Corner (3:15)
02. The Lord Whom We Love (3:02)
03. The Savior Is Waiting (2:16)
04. Psalm 19 (3:26)
05. No One Understands Like Jesus (2:48)
06. Reach Out And Touch (3:11)
07. Fill My Cup, Lord (2:55)
08. A Common Love (2:36)
09. Pass It On (3:23)
10. Friend Of The Father (2:35)

Mars Lasar ~ Escape

Australian-born New Age composer and producer Mars Lasar first attracted attention in 1991 for his work on Seal's monster pop hit "Crazy; " his 1992 solo debut, Olympus, reached the Top Ten on the Progressive Adult Contemporary radio charts thanks in large part to its extensive use during CBS' broadcast of that year's Winter Olympic Games. Its follow-up, The Eleventh Hour, proved even more successful; Lasar next turned to interactive entertainment, composing the music for Sega's hit CD-ROM adventure game Tomcat Alley. After 1995's Escape, he issued the three-volume Mindscapes series a year later; subsequent releases included Olympic National Park, 1997's Song of the Manatee and 1998's 11:02. Karma appeared in spring 2001. In addition, Lasar produced dozens of production music CDs for companies across the globe.

tracks:
01. Inner Sanctum (5:04)
02. Astronomer (5:14)
03. Sensuality (4:22)
04. Moonlight Cove (4:51)
05. Waves (4:55)
06. The Blessing (4:39)
07. Escape (3:49)
08. At One With You (5:02)
09. Walkabout (4:52)
10. The Anniversary (4:37)
11. Accelerator (2:57)
12. Amy's Lullaby II (4:24)
13. Unity (4:54)

Billy Vaughn plays the music you remember

tracks:
01. Sail Along Silv'ry Moon (2:00)
02. Wheels (2:05)
03. Stranger On The Shore (2:09)
04. Theme From A Summer Place (2:43)
05. Pearly Shells (2:19)
06. My Melody Of Love (2:21)
07. Red Sails In The Sunset (2:03)
08. Petite Fleur (2:37)
09. Harbor Lights (2:09)
10. Moonlight Bay (1:48)
11. Tiny Bubbles (2:09)
12. Sweet Leilani (2:38)
13. Have You Ever Been Mellow. (3:53)
14. Take Me Home Country Roads (2:30)
15. The Hustle (4:08)
16. Solitaire. (3:42)
17. Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song (3:14)
18. Only Yesterday (3:43)
19. Sunshine On My Shoulders (3:10)
20. Wonderland By Night (2:56)

Randy Crawford ~ Every kind of mood

Every Kind of Mood may not quite deliver on the promise of the title, but it's nevertheless a fine collection of smooth urban R&B and adult contemporary pop. To her credit, Randy Crawford decides to push forward a little bit -- for every schmaltzy "Captain of Her Heart," there's something as stylish and unexpected as the cover of Massive Attack's "Hymn of the Big Wheel." It's moments like "Big Wheel," "Are You Sure" and the version of Aretha Franklin's "Johnny" that make the missteps forgivable and make Every Kind of Mood an engaging listen.

tracks
01. Breaking Down (4:26)

02. Bye Bye (3:57)
03. I'd Be An Angel (4:49)
04. Unwounded (3:09)
05. Are You Sure (4:31)
06. Sweet Regine (4:13)
07. Johnny (2:44)
08. Let It Rain (3:53)
09. Silence (3:47)
10. Changes (4:42)
11. Almaz (4:30)
12. Captain Of Her Heart (4:58)
13. Wishing On A Star (4:52)
14. Honey For My Honey (4:26)
15. Hymn Of The Big Wheel (6:01)

Captain Of Her Heart