Some artists are so iconic that we refer to them by one name (Ella, Stevie, Joni, Aretha, Clifford) but Quincy Jones only needed one letter. Q was a singular artist in his masterful eclecticism and prolific output. I was maybe in my early 20s when I fully realized that the person arranging some of my favorite big band records (e.g. Genius of Ray Charles or Ella and Basie) also co-wrote and produced “Get The Funk Out Ma Face” and “Ya Mo B There.” While more common in the European classical tradition that was a major part of his training, it’s much less common in pop or jazz for someone who’s not singing or playing an instrument and sometimes not even a primary composer to reach a high level of visibility, but Quincy’s ability to put his stamp on any project was, again, singular.

While wishing him safe passage, here are some personal favorites among his sweeping body of work, presented chronologically.

1 ) “Up In Quincy’s Room” from The Art Farmer Septet by Art Farmer (1953)

An early example of nuanced writing for mid-sized jazz groups, this one foregrounds the electric (!) bass of Monk Montgomery and we get the added bonus of hearing Quincy himself on piano throughout, including some convincing comping for the solos by Farmer and Jimmy Cleveland.

2 ) “Jessica’s Day” from Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra (reissued on the Birks Works compilation)by Dizzy Gillespie (1956)

Quincy’s ability to write slinky, slow-swinging big band arrangements is well-represented in this era, and I particularly love this original tune of his, which stands in fascinating contrast to Cannonball Adderley’s subsequent uptempo sextet version.

3 ) “The Midnight Sun Will Never Set” from Vaughan and Violins by Sarah Vaughan (1958)

Quincy’s writing for strings is exquisite, and hearing it in what are ostensibly jazz contexts is in refreshing contrast to the often-schmaltzy ways they are used. Here we get to hear that on one of his most iconic ballads, providing lush but not syrupy backing for Sassy’s authoritative singing.

4 ) “The Birth of a Band” from The Birth of a Band (1959)

We have to have one burner among the representations of his big band work, and this original tune is exciting from the first note to the last thanks to the great musicians he assembled and led (including featured soloists Jerome Richardson and Zoot Sims, who take on a saxophone duel here) and his masterful writing.

5 ) “Quintessence” from The Quintessence (1961)

A thing I love about Quincy’s bandleading and producing is the way he managed to shine a particularly intimate light on featured soloists (whether instrumentalists or singers) even while using elaborate orchestration. So it goes with the way his textures (dig Harvey Phillips’s tuba) envelop the soulful playing of Phil Woods on this beautiful Quincy ballad.

6 ) “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” from Sinatra at the Sands by Frank Sinatra (1966)

Frank Sinatra and Count Basie are perhaps the two figures I think of first when I contemplate Quincy’s work as a big band arranger and conductor for others’ projects, so this beloved collaboration among all three artists is particularly potent at illustrating that vibe. If there is a more swaggering version of this Cole Porter tune, I certainly haven’t heard it.

7 ) “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” from You’ve Got It Bad Girl (1973)

Quincy’s 1970s albums are full of fun and intricate reworkings of both jazz and popular songs alongside his own music. This version of a then-recent Stevie Wonder masterpiece is extra-appealing in that it features Quincy himself on lead vocals as well as one of the gnarliest solos I’ve ever heard from Dave Grusin, here playing electric piano.

8 ) “Oh Lord, Come By Here” from Roots: the Saga of an American Family (1977)

I could easily have populated this whole list with highlights from his film soundtracks, a major part of his work. Much of that work revolves around his instrumental writing, but I chose this deeply moving gospel collaboration with Rev. James Cleveland and featuring his Wattsline Choir, a subtle string arrangement, and characteristically soulful organ from Richard Tee.

9 ) “P.Y.T.” from Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982)

There are so many great late ‘70s and early ‘80s examples of his production of classic R&B tracks (some including writing credits) with the Brothers Johnson, Donna Summer, James Ingram, and so on. But how could I leave this record off the list? This supremely funky and slick performance represents his one co-writing credit from this album that was reasonably popular in its day.

10 ) “Cool Joe, Mean Joe” from Q’s Jook Joint (1995)

The “pulling his famous and diverse friends together to do interesting things” aspect of Quincy’s career (especially later on) certainly has its iconic examples – perhaps most famous is “We Are the World,” though there are certainly others (only the dated synths kept me, for example, from including “Birdland” from 1989 with Ella Fitzgerald AND Sarah Vaughn giving their last recorded performances alongside Miles Davis, George Benson, and others). Here Quincy revisits this classic Benny Golson song with instrumental solos by Hubert Laws, Joshua Redman, and Herbie Hancock (on synth), rapping by Queen Latifah and Töne Löc and vocals (with Q’s lyrics) by Nancy Wilson.