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While Quincy Jones and Bill Cosby are today considered two of the most prominent and accomplished entertainers in America, the 52-episodes of NBC’s “The Bill Cosby Show” (1969 – 1971) were among their first notable television credits and gave both artists a chance to exercise their creative limbs. Jones, as musical director, assembled a crack team of jazz artists to bring his musical vision to fruition: Jimmy Smith, Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Milt Jackson, Herb Ellis, Joe Sample, Ernie Watts, Les McCann and just about every other prominent jazz and funk artist of the era. During the program’s run, Jones essentially left the tape recorder running during numerous informal jams, which included outtakes and several comedic vocal cameos by Cosby. Somehow the tapes ended up in the vault and were forgotten until over 30 years later when Jones was moving into new office space and re-discovered the “lost tapes.”
For Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby: The New Mixes, Vol. I (CCD-2262), the producing team at Concord Records and Quincy Jones Music wholeheartedly embraced a unique approach¾they gave the original jam sessions from the 1969 TV show to some of today’s hippest artists, DJs and producers from the worlds of Latin, jazz, electronica, lounge and hip-hop and asked them to create “new mixes.” The two companies had only one request: to take creative liberties without losing the loose, funk-loving spirit of the original music. The result is an eclectic and exciting dose of contemporary music that pays respectful yet forward-thinking homage to some of the funkiest and most revered jazz artists of the 1960s.
“We discovered some boxes labeled ‘Quincy, Jimmy Smith and Oscar, 1969,’ and about fell out of our chairs,” explains Marc Cazorla, executive producer for Quincy Jones Music, who along with producing partner Nancie Stern suggested the release of two separate albums (Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby: The Original Jam Sessions 1969 is out June 22). Jones quickly gave his go ahead. Cazorla explains, “A lot of people don’t really realize the impact that jazz has had on modern music, and Quincy’s always looking to turn people on to something fresh. Both he and Bill were completely supportive of the idea.”
On the concept of “new-mixes,” Cazorla adds: “I wanted to stay away from re-mixes because I don’t really think people want to hear a remix of a seven minute Milt Jackson ballad. Bags should be left alone sometimes. These are not re-mixes but new tracks created in the same vibe as the original sessions.” And, just as Jones would give ideas or themes to the musicians in the 1969 sessions and then just let them go, The New Mixes has the same essence of being unscripted or unsculpted. “We all love the vibe of the original songs, and using original parts with new tracks sounds vintage but new at the same time,” says Cazorla, who gave such international artists as Mix Master Mike, Mario Caldato Jr., Herbert, Bedrock, Cornershop, and Los Amigos Invisibles about 10 to 15 elements, and encouraged them to be creative, open up a little bit, and base their new tracks on the original vibe.
Cazorla himself produced “Jamon y Queso,” a track inspired by Jimmy Smith and whose insatiably funky B-3 Hammond organ is apparent throughout The New Mixes CD. “I was screwing around in the studio one day and happened on this nice groove. I thought it would be something cool to have at parties,” he laughs, “but it ended up being the first finished track. I played B-3 on top and fed bass lines that Carol Kaye laid down at the original sessions through a wah-wah to get a really funked out bass sound. Using something that Carol did was really exciting for me because Pet Sounds from the Beach Boys is one of my favorite albums (Carol played bass on some tunes from that set).”
Smith’s B-3 Hammond also provided the inspiration for Soulive’s Eric Krasno and Neal Evans) syncopated guitar and organ-based track, “Miss Leslie,” and for Mario C’s “Jimmy’s Theme” as well. On the latter cut, the multi-faceted musician and producer Mario Caldato Jr., who has worked with The Beastie Boys, Beck, John Lee Hooker and a host of others, samples Smith over a new beat, guitar and percussion that really cooks.
“Along Came Mr. Nobody,” by the stylish American DJ Ursula 1000, kicks off this funky set of new mixes. “I had heard Ursula 1000’s crazy lounge mix music,” says Cazorla, “and, because some of these guys are also musicians, I knew they had some chops outside of just working behind a computer. They really got it, even came up with a ‘70s Quincy-style police chase halfway through this cut.”
Los Amigos Invisibles, a performance-oriented Latin dance band from Venezuela who signed with David Byrne’s Luaka Bop imprint, injects South American flavor into “Pelando.” Herbert’s love for dance-based electronica is evident on “(Matthew Herbert’s) Technically Amateur Mix,” one of a few club/lounge-inspired tracks. The others¾Bedrock’s ethereal track, “Glimmer,” based largely on Milt Jackson’s vibes tracks, with a bossa nova rhythm and a very cool drift; Echo’s, “Where’s Eddie?” featuring multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Joy Askew (Joe Jackson, Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel) is an upbeat dance number; and Said Mrad’s “United”¾all sit together well enough for a hot night on the circuit.
“United,” by Lebanese DJ and mix artist Said Mrad, is a jam with a violin solo that is nothing short of ‘a tantric drum and bass journey,’” says Cazorla. Here, swirling keyboard riffs, sensuous sax and Arabic percussions combine with the violin in the majestic, insistent and mystifying tune. “The violinist, who we unfortunately cannot identify, is such a phenomenal player, and we only had a short little piece from the original recording, not full album length, to work with. But, like Jimmy Smith, the violin sound was there, and we were able to feature it more in The New Mixes.”
Stiff’s mysterious, polyrhythmic grooves on “The Highland Street Hustle” percolate with different time signatures and harmonies in a way that’s fresh and innovative. “Stiff’s a close friend who produced music for 2Pac Shakur’s double-platinum album Better Dayz,” says Cazorla. “He plays piano, guitar and other instruments and I’ve played in other bands with him. He’s got a nice musician’s sensibility.”
In “Valeurs Personelles,” Cornershop, famed for their hybrid of Indian music, British indie rock and contemporary dance, take things to a funky new global level with infusions of sitar, Asian percussion and French vocals. “Like the rest of these artists, they were free to do what they wanted and they really went to town,” says Cazorla. “I really dig this track.”
“It’s crazy what Mix Master Mike did with Cosby’s vocals on his ‘Hikky-Burr’ remix,” says Cazorla, adding his thanks to Mario C. for bringing in Mix Master to cut the track. (“Hikky-Burr” became the EMMY Award-nominated theme song for “The Bill Cosby Show” and a subsequent hit for Jones in the ‘70s). “I don’t know how Mix Master did what he did, it’s pretty amazing. Usually people work from multi-tracks, but all he had was a CD of outtakes from the original studio sessions and came up with some real mean cuts.”
However you slice it, Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby: The New Mixes, Vol. I, is more than simple studio wizardry, more than a simple re-mixing project, more than a reverent nod to the past: it’s a groovy bridge between the past and the future. “All of these artists were psyched to work with Jones’ music,” says Cazorla, “and Quincy really flipped when I played everything for him. He loved it all.”
About Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones’s distinguished career encompasses many successful roles¾composer, producer, artist, film and television producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, recording company executive, magazine founder, and multimedia entrepreneur. He is well regarded as a masterful inventor of musical hybrids, creating memorable fusions of pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, and African and Brazilian music. Jones is the most-nominated GRAMMY® Award artist of all time, with an impressive 79 GRAMMY nominations and 27 GRAMMY Awards. In 2001, he was named a Kennedy Center Honoree for his extensive contributions to the cultural fabric of the United States.
About Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby is a true jazz hound and credits the music with influencing his immensely popular, free-flowing comedy performance style. Cosby is not only one of the most prolific and accomplished actors and comedians of our time, but he’s invited jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Joe Williams to appear on his programs and even toured as a singer and leader of his own jazz groups. He has composed scores for “The Cosby Show,” “A Different World” and others of his TV programs and has hosted the world-famous Playboy Jazz Festival for many years. Cosby received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston in May 2004.
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