Hollywood’s music king is dead
RIPThe inimitable Quincy Jones died yesterday, aged 91.
A kid off Chicago’s rough South Side, sharing drug fixes with Ray Charles, he won a scholarship to Berklee and wound up studying in Paris with Nadia Boulanger (pictured) and seducing Juliette Greco. Quincy soon revealed a gift for original orchestration and career mobility. He worked with Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington before being made VP of the Mercury label and a fame-maker to a new generation. In 1964 he broke into Hollywood with a score for The Pawnbroker, followed by the haunting theme song for In the Heat of the Night.
He revived the dying embers of Miles Davis’s career, produced the Thriller mega-album for Michael Jackson, created Roberta Flack’s greatest hit and for half a century held more influence in the music-movie nexus than any other artist. Wielding considerable power and never moderating his opinions, Quincy made few enemies and never forgot an old friend. His philanthropy was world-embracing.
Important to don’t forget the importance of France during all his career with Nadia Boulanger.
A life and legacy for the ages. The triumvirate- Quincy, David Foster and Clive Davis. Each so different, but with unique incomparable gifts given to the evolution of music.
Had Handel lived for the last 50 years he would be working much like Quincy Jones.
Did he heckers like, as they say, revive Miles’ dying embers. In 1991 he conducted Davis’ last concert, a lap of honour, after Miles had long since been on the road again after a long hiatus during the 1970s.
Not sure what you are trying to say; might be a translation issue?
An amazing talent, a brilliant career. But I’m not sure that calling him “Hollywood’s music king” is the best way to describe his 50+ year career.
It would be hard to identify a figure who has had a greater impact on American music than “Q.” He was an amazing talent in so many areas. He gave so much to jazz and pop music.
Quincy was phenomenal and obviously enjoyed a long and full life.
BTW, “In the Heat of the Night” is one of the really great films with two actors at the absolute top of their game and a superb score.
Quincy Jones, Thad Jones, Jonah Jones, Hank Jones, Bud Powell, Herschel Evans, Bill Evans …
There are many more Jones: Eddie, Jimmy, Victor… But not sure what your point is. Thad and Hank were, like their sibling Elvin, from the same family. The other glorious one in Jazz was the Heath family (Percy, Jimmy, Albert “Tootie”)
Clarieux, I forgot the Williamses: Joe, Clarence and Mary-Lou. My point is, that the historians still claim that jazz began in New Orleans, and you see, it didn’t. It all began at a penellion competition in Abertillery that got a bit out of hand.
Gil Evans……don’t forget Gil, the berst jazz arranger of the post war period. After Gil’s death, Quincy took over conducting concerts with Miles and the Gil Evans Orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_eUc_equV0
Gil Evans was amazing. There’s that arrangement of “The Barbara Song” from ‘The Threepenny Opera’s for a start …
Why overlay Nadia over his picture? He was great within his own right, and her influence is (to my ears) barely felt in his work.
He wanted to be Nelson Riddle, but there was only one Nelson Riddle. And he used the best orchestrators, geniuses like Jack Hayes to make his work sound great.