🎵 AotW AOTW: Quincy Jones - Smackwater Jack

[Captain Bacardi]

Quincy Jones -
Smackwater Jack
SP-3037

Released 1972

Formats: LP/8-Track/Reel-To-Reel/CD

Produced by Quincy Jones, Ray Brown and Phil Ramone

Tracks:

• 1. Smackwater Jack (Carol King/Gerry Goffin) 3:23
  2. Cast Your Fate To The Wind (Vince Guaraldi) 4:25
  3. Ironside (Quincy Jones) 3:53
  4. What's Going On? (Marvin Gaye/Al Cleveland/Renaldo Benson) 9:52
  5. Theme From "The Anderson Tapes" (Quincy Jones) 5:16
  6. Brown Ballad (Ray Brown) 4:18
  7. Hikky-Burr (Theme from "The Bill Cosby Show") (Quincy Jones/Bill Cosby) 5:03
  8. Guitar Blues Odyssey: From Roots To Fruits (Quincy Jones) 6:38

Musicians:

Quincy Jones - Vocals, Arranger, Conductor
Woodwinds: - Jerome Richardson, Hubert Laws, Pete Christlieb
Trumpets/Flugelhorns: - Ernest Royal, Eugene "Snooky" Young, Marvin Stamm, Joe Newman, Buddy Childers, Freddie Hubbard
Trombones: - Wayne Andre, Garnett Brown, Dick Hixon, Alan Ralph, Tony Studd
Guitars: - Toots Thielmans (also Harmonica), Eric Gale, Jim Hall, Joe Beck, Arthur Adams, Freddie Robinson
Drums & Percussion: - Grady Tate, Paul Humphries, Larry Bunker, George Devens
Keyboards: - Bobby Scott, Bob James, Jaki Byard, Monty Alexander, Joe Sample, Jimmy Smith, Dick Hyman
Moog Synthesizer: - Paul Beaver, Edd Kalehoff
Bass: - Ray Brown, Chuck Rainey, Bob Crenshaw, Carole Kaye
Vibes: - Milt Jackson
Violin: - Harry Lookofsky
Vocals: - Valerie Simpson, Maretha Steward, Marilyn Jackson, Barbara Massey, Joshie Armstead, Bill Cosby (on "Hikky-Burr" only)

Recorded at A&R Studios, New York City

Liner Notes by Ralph J. Gleason


Capt. Bacardi

 

[mikeargo]

Fantastic album. Bought it new in '72 and have worn a couple out since. As a showcase set, this record is very hard to beat. It has everything: some of Quincy's TV and movie themes, old and new pop standards, experimentation, and an absolutely dynamite all-star lineup. Toots Thielmans, Freddy Hubbard, Jim Hall, Harry Lookofsky, Grady Tate, Bill Cosby, and Quincy vocals??!...the list just goes on. Simply put, there's something for everyone here. Standouts for me are Cast Your Fate, Ironsides, Anderson Tapes, and of course What's Going On--the only version that could ever possibly equal, maybe even top, Marvin's original. As a "play it all the way through in my head" album, this is one of my top ten, no question.

Mike A

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I've always liked this album, although it's not the best one Quincy has ever done. I first got turned on to this LP after hearing "What's Going On?" on a local jazz station. This album is a nice mix of jazz and R&B (70's style). The personnel on this album ain't too bad, either. The one tune that has always thrown me is "Guitar Blues Odyssey". The guitar solos are good, but the way it's all put together is a bit nutty. But for 1972 this was a pretty hip album.

BTW, there's a pretty good Herb Alpert conncection here: Bobby Scott on piano (composer of "A Taste Of Honey"), Carole Kaye (who was on a few TJB tunes), and Arthur Adams (who played on the Alpert/Masekela album, and whose solo album was produced by Herb).


Capt. Bacardi
NP: Freddie Hubbard - Keep Your Soul Together

 

[LPJim]

SMACKWATER JACk was reissued on CD by Mobile Fidelity (MFCD 776). Glad I grabbed a copy while I could.
JB
PS: gave this one a 'best' vote

 

[W.B.]

It was from this LP that the version of the theme from Ironside which, in highly edited form, was heard over the opening title and closing credits of the series in its last 3½ years (1971-75) on the air, had emanated. I noticed this immediately upon playing the 45 release thereof (AM-1323; c/w "Cast Your Fate To The Wind"), a copy of which I'd bought last November at the WFMU Record Fair in New York City (pressed by Columbia in Pitman, N.J., natch').

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I like this album fine, but it's more "jazz" than my usual taste. "Hikky Burr" is annoying, IMHO...should have been an obscure B-side.

I actually like the YOU'VE GOT IT BAD GIRL album better than this one, and my favorite Q album is THE DUDE, which makes sense for me since it's his most pop-oriented album.

 

[mikeargo]

"Hikky Burr" is annoying, IMHO...should have been an obscure B-side.

I like the melody, and the arrangement, and the instrumentation of that song, but you're quite right--"Hikky Burr" is annoying because of Cosby's scatting. I used to like it a lot more then than I do now, but I always recognized it as the weakest tune on the album.

On the other hand, "Brown Ballad" still holds its own as a quiet, reflective, beautiful melody after all these years, though I think it's eclipsed by all the stronger stuff surrounding it.

"Guitar Blues Odyssey" used to impress me as being more adventurous than I now think it is.

There's a lot "going on" on this album that still bears repeated listening after 31 years!

Mike A.