Quincy Jones captured sound. He was as sophisticated as he needed to be and as primal as he needed to be. He knew tone and he knew rhythm.


Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones's journey was one that was captive to the sound.


As a child in Chicago, Jones encountered realities of urban life. He recalled seeing gangsters with machine guns on streets, an experience that shaped his worldview. His family's move to Seattle when he was ten marked a point, leading to his encounter with a piano in a center – a moment that altered his life's course.


Jones's musical ability emerged. By high school, he had taken up the trumpet and formed a friendship with Ray Charles. This connection would prove instrumental in shaping both careers.

In 1951, Jones earned a scholarship to Seattle University, transferring after one semester to what is now the Berklee College of Music in Boston. His studies ended when he received an offer to tour with bandleader Lionel Hampton, launching his career.


Jones's talent for arranging songs became evident during his time with Hampton. He moved to New York City, where he received commissions to write arrangements for Charles, Sarah Vaughan, and jazz luminaries.


In 1956, Jones was part of the studio band that supported Elvis Presley in his first six television appearances, including the performance of "Heartbreak Hotel" that catapulted Presley to stardom.



Jones's career took him around the world. In 1957, he moved to Paris, studying composition with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen. This period of study deepened his musical understanding and broadened his compositional range.


In 1968, Jones became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. This nomination marked the beginning of his impact on the film industry.


Some of the twists in Jones's life would later be described by him as "unbelievable." In 1969, he narrowly avoided being present at the Manson Family murders. He had planned to attend a dinner party at Sharon Tate's house on the night of the killings but forgot at the last minute.


In 1974, Jones suffered a brain aneurysm. His recovery from this health crisis demonstrated his resilience and determination, traits that would serve him throughout his career. It was the aneurysm that led to him setting down the trumpet. This decision would eventually lead him on the Yellow Brick Road of The Wiz (1978) that led to his three collaborations with Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987).


Jones's influence extended beyond music. In 1990, he produced The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, launching Will Smith's acting career. His ability to spot and nurture talent was unmatched.


In 1991, Jones achieved a dream by convincing Miles Davis to revisit his 1950s recordings at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The resulting album, Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux, was Davis's last, released posthumously.


Jones's life was marked by curiosity and a drive to improve music. In 1960, he told Down Beat magazine, "All the musicians moan about the level of American popular music, but all they do is moan about it. They wouldn't think of going into it to improve it. Well, I'm going into it."


Such was Jones's approach to his craft...to his art. He was never content to criticize; he sought to elevate and transform.


Quincy Jones's legacy is in the artists he mentored, the barriers he broke, the standards he established, the dreams he inspired, and, above all, in the sound he captured. His life was a witness to talent, perseverance, and vision.


On July 15, 2021, KEPW broadcast episode 123 of my radio show, Hard Rain & Slow Trains: Bob Dylan & Fellow Travelers, my tribute to Quincy Jones: "Last Ones Standing part 5: Quincy Jones." As one of the few musicians who was then still living who had first recorded in the 1950s or earlier, Jones was part of my "Last Ones Standing" group. That group once included Little Richard, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Lee Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Don Everly, Duane Eddy, Billy "The Kid" Emerson, and Tina Turner. Now Q too is standing no longer. Still with us are Sonny Rollins, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, Dion DiMucci, Carolyn Hester, Joan Baez, and Ramblin' Jack Eliot. Let's enjoy their presence while we can. And, let's remember those who have passed on; I invite you to listen to that radio episode here and remember the original Mr. Jones.