Quincy Jones - 20th Century Masters: The Best of Quincy Jones (2001)

Quincy Jones' edition of Universal's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection is hardly a comprehensive overview of Jones' career -- that, as they say, would take a box set -- but it does narrow in on the chart hits he had for A&M during the '70s and early '80s. Pretty much all of his pop crossovers of that era -- outside of "'Roots' Medley," "Ai No Corrida," and "Money Runner," a theme song for the movie of the same name, released on Reprise -- are here, which means this is very heavy on jazzy funk and jazzy quiet storm. Nothing here doesn't sound like its era, which isn't a bad thing -- some of it may not transcend the era, but it's dated in a nice way, and the very best songs, such as the seductive James Ingram-sung "One Hundred Ways," rank among the best of their kind. This may not be among Jones' most influential music, but it's certainly among his best crossover material, and while it may miss a hit or two, it's a fine representative overview of his records of the '70s.