Composer, arranger, producer, trumpeter and pianist, author of music for films and television series – an icon of American music, <a href="http://www.world-today-news.com/michael-jackson-the-secrets-of-the-thriller-album-news-michael-jackson/" title="Michael Jackson: the secrets of the "Thriller" album – News Michael Jackson”>Quincy Jones died on November 3 at the age of 91.
Quincy Jones died on Sunday, November 3, at his home in Bel Air (Los Angeles). He was accompanied by his loved ones in his last moments, said the musician’s spokesman, Arnold Robinson. Jones – the winner of 28 Grammy Awards, as well as the Grammy Legend Award – became famous as a composer, author of film music and leader of a jazz big band, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer.
“One of the most versatile personalities in the world of pop music,” wrote the British “Guardian” about him, recalling that during his long career, Jones collaborated with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Michael Jackson. It was Quincy Jones who produced the albums “Off the Wall”, “Bad” and “Thriller”. “It’s safe to say that (…) the albums he produced for Michael Jackson (…) changed the face of pop, reaching both black and white audiences at a time when musical tastes were very divided,” commented the daily. “New York Times”.
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As a 14-year-old, Jones – a pianist and trumpeter – was already performing in jazz bands in Seattle clubs and studying music. Once he even accompanied Billie Holiday. He moved to New York, the center of American jazz life, after Lionel Hampton hired him for his big band. He listened to be-bop stars in clubs, worked as an arranger, and a few years later he played in a band accompanying Elvis Presley during his first television performance. Rock and roll was replacing jazz as the music of American youth.
He traveled around Europe as a member of Hampton’s group and went to South America with Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Working as an arranger for Mercury gave him security, stability and the opportunity to work with artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Sammy Davis Jr. It also allowed me to work as a composer for the film industry.
The most famous soundtracks by Quincy Jones include those composed for the films “The Color Purple”, “Get Out” and “In the Heat of the Night”. He was nominated for an Oscar seven times. Jones also wrote music for the popular TV series “Roots” and “The Bill Cosby Show.”
In interviews, he mocked the pigeonholing of music, dividing it into jazz, rock, funk, pop and R&B. “We played everything!” – he recalled his youthful years. In the documentary “Quincy”, rapper Kendrick Lamar talked about how Jones was a great inspiration and how he successfully combined jazz and hip-hop. He successfully found himself in the convention of jazz big band, “modern jazz”, pop, as well as disco and funk. He also recorded albums under his own name – he made his debut as a leader in 1957 with the album “This is How I Feel About Jazz”, which featured jazz musicians such as Charles Mingus, Hank Jones and Zoot Sims.
In the same year, the musician moved to Paris, where he studied with Nadia Boulanger and worked on recordings by Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour and American artists who came to the Seine. In 1960, he went on tour at the head of his own group. It ended – despite great reviews and enthusiastic reactions from listeners – as a financial failure – the band broke up, and Jones was left with a debt to settle. “We played great music, but we were starving. That’s when it dawned on me that there was +music+ and there was a +music industry+,” he recalled in a conversation with Ralph J. Gleason – “If I was to survive, I had to understand what the difference was.” (PAP)
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