Rare Gems: Quincy Jones- Wee B. Dooinit
Who else but “Q”?” Who else could essentially pull an “Avengers Assemble” of Who’s Who in the music industry, both past and present? Who else’s career spans an unprecedented 6 decades and has enough clout and vision to be able to fuse the stylings of traditional Jazz, with the more modern flavor of the Hip-Hop/New Jack Swing era. Who else do you know could pull acts such as Ella Fitzgerald, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, Sarah Vaughan, Al Jarreau, and Siedah Garrett- and bring them altogether on one track? Quincy Jones could, and did for his 1989 album, Back on the Block.
The album is unique in its own right, not only for its ability to bridge canyons in the eras of popular music; but also for its willingness to preserve and protect a rich and diverse musical history by fusing it with then-modern sound methods. The song that features the aforementioned artists, Wee B. Dooinit, is a sonically-stunning representation of the last 40 years of popular music up to that point….and keep in mind, it’s all acapella. The song is also noteworthy for having the last recorded vocals by jazz legends, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Even with all those big names, the song was never released as a single, but undoubtedly just one of the hidden gems on the Back on the Block Album. Enjoy this trip in time back to 1989….
