I never came across him live but his recording legacy is without parallel. With Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie and his own bands - Birth of a Band is surely one of the best big band recordings ever.
The arrangements for Basie and Sinatra - both singly and together - his part in the rise of Michael Jackson and the countless scores and soundtracks for movies and TV shows. The list is endless - until now that is.
Quincy Jones left us yesterday (Nov. 3). He was 91-years-old.
He will be missed by all in the jazz world and far beyond. R.I.P.
Lance
2 comments :
I first came across Quincy Jones as the composer of the theme tune to Roots in the late seventies. I then realised that he wrote the B side of one of my old northern soul records - would you believe Hawaii 50 b/w Ironside. Years later but years ago I remember the episode of Ironside with him playing a jazz musician. Then he presented the Brothers Johnson on their first album and produced the first four, the first three of which are fairly essential to followers of soul/funk. I never cared for George Benson as a singer so I really didn't like Give me the Night at the time, though I've mellowed to it and his subsequent singles over recent years. I've never really heard much jazz by him and, like most people, know him mostly from his association with two of the greatest popstars of the C20th.
I should have also mentioned the stunning video/DVD when he conducts Miles at Montreux, having persuaded him to return to the historic collaborations with Gil Evans, following the death of Gil and shortly before Miles' death.
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