Quincy Jones, a prominent figure in both music and social activism, died on Nov. 3, 2024 at 91-years-old. Jones left an unparalleled legacy over his seven-decade career as a record producer, composer, arranger and trumpeter.
Jones received 28 Grammy Awards, along with multiple nominations for Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Jones worked with renowned artists, including Frank Sinatra, serving as the arranger and conductor of “Sinatra at the Sands,” and produced Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the best-selling album of all time.
“He knew music in every aspect – you could talk to him about Baroque music, strict counterpoint,” Giorgi Mikadze, producer, pianist and Berklee College of Music associate professor, said. “He was trained really well. He was one of the most influential arrangers, as a jazz arranger and big band arranger. [He arranged] for Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, I mean the list of names is so long.”
Mikadze, who knew Jones on a personal level, admired his charisma and humility as a person.
“It’s easy to see how he is so respected,” Mikadze said. “People did love him, they genuinely loved him. First of all, on a personal level, [he was] a humble man, and was such a grand person. You feel like he’s with you, and he supports you. And it doesn’t matter which phase of your life you are in, the impact is that he influences you to be a hard worker, be nice, be humble, and your talent is going to speak out in the end.”
Jones was well known for his unique ability to blend musical styles within the American music industry and his adaptability to the changing technology supporting music production.
Midtown band director Carlton Williams said Jones’ career rose at a time when big band jazz began to dominate the music industry.
“He was born and raised in Chicago, like in the early 30s,” Williams said. “That’s when a lot of the big band era really started to evolve … It made a profound impact on the people that were doing jazz arrangements back then before any big films. But I think that arrangers and composers all benefited from his style.”
Mikadze said Jones’ skill of transforming artists’ visions into music was evident in his albums and the impact he garnered as a producer.
“He could translate,” Mikadze said. “When he was a producer and working, for example, for Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson had his own vision on his songs, and he was able to literally sing every part, like guitar part, bass part, out loud. And [Jones] had to really catch it and play it on his instruments. So as a live arranger, [he] had to understand at a different level what the artists wanted, and he had an amazing sense of understanding of what the other artists wanted to create and translated it into musical instruments.”
James Weinman, a jazz pianist and professor of African American studies at the University of Georgia, said Jones’ influence extended beyond jazz, shaping the careers of many artists.
“I think his music disseminated all over the place,” Weinman said. “You think of the collaborations of Michael Jackson, I don’t think those albums would have been what they were if it wasn’t for Quincy.”
Weinman said Jones’ music flourished through film as well as radio music, producing film scores for Will Smith’s “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” among others.
“He was high up there; he was able to be a mover and a shaker, even with the jazz people,” Weinman said. “He never forgot his jazz roots … I think that part of him being able to be in the space that he was and being able to do it well, and you could tell, as at a young age, that he was smart, and he was inquisitive, and everything he did, he did on a high level.”
