Album Review: Quincy Jones

From John Legend to Mary J. Blige, there’s an impressive guest list on Quincy Jones‘ new album Q – Soul Bossa Nostra. The project finds the legendary musician revisiting tracks he previously produced, recorded or composed, with vocal contributions from a variety of contemporary pop stars. There are even apperances by Academy Award-winning artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and… um, Three Six Mafia.

As you might be able to predict, there are a few questionable moments on this collection. T-Pain and Robin Thicke‘s rendition of “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” is embarrassing for everyone involved, and the same could be said for the remake of “Strawberry Letter 23″ with Akon on vocals. Both compositions are an insult to the original artist, as Jones attempts to pander to a younger audience that grew up in the age of Auto-Tune.

But why dwell on the negative aspects? The album is sprinkled with a handful of stellar tributes, and a few tracks which breathe new energy into their original source material. Troubled diva Amy Winehouse adds a dark twist to Lesley Gore‘s 1963 hit “It’s My Party”, while John Legend adds a touch of maturity to Tevin Campbell‘s 1989 debut single “Tomorrow”.

In a way, it all comes down to a matter of taste. Very few individuals are going to love every song in this set, but there’s something for everyone thrown into the mix. Though you should skip this one as a potential stocking stuffer, you might want to grab a few of the tunes for yourself.

- Dewitt

To listen to select tracks from this album, follow the JUMP: