Larence Jones

Thank heaven Norman Dayron had the presence of mind to capture these sides by Chicago pianist Johnny Jones when he played at the Fickle Pickle in 1963 - as little as remains on tape of his talents as a singer, we're eternally indebted to Dayron's actions. Jones's insinuating vocals and bedrock 88s are abetted by harpist Billy Boy Arnold on these performances, and that's it - he had no rhythm section to fall back on.

First and foremost, Quincy Jones is a musician, composer and arranger of some of the finest music of the 20th Century, and this 4 CD Set houses his very finest work. Eight original albums released by Jones on Mercury and other labels between 1960 and 1963, on which he was leader or co-leader, remain, certainly for jazz fans, the great man’s finest hour. This set includes these integral albums in their entirety and in pristine re-mastered form, complete with full musician lists and release details, to make for perhaps the best collection yet of Quincy Jones’s jazz recordings which pre-date almost everything this giant of a man remains most famous for.

Howard Jones at the BBC is a new five-CD box set that features a wealth of BBC Sessions and live concert broadcasts that focuses on the classic, early part of Jones’ career.