What a LIFE. There are very few black men with a more outstanding life than Quincy Jones. Here’s his infamous interview at 85.
The joy this man brought to me and hundreds of millions of folks. An arranger? That’s a music designer (all creation/conception is design). Quincy designed beautiful, long lasting sonic things.
The threepeat of Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad? GLORY. Bad was awaited on all planet earth, y’all. I was a child in my small village in the middle of France and I remember my step brother going to the store on his moped exclusively to buy the record.
Which sounded like nothing else at the time (listen to Speed Demon!!). Talk about craftmanship, ability to transform yourself, and keeping the jazz and groove going (heard those guitar licks and horns on Speed Demon? Goddamn).
Thriller, the song, was still giving goosebumps to everyone up into the 90s. And yes, that’s just the middle of his life. A Tuesday for Quincy.
I’d read his autobiography in the 00s and was super impressed and almost jealous at the lessons he had had to go through. Hard times, better times. Q seemed to always be processing and looking forward. Loving music more than anything else.
Ninety-one. Not bad for a kid from the 1930s.
I think it’s the first time that a musical giant passes away and I’m just here celebrating his greatness.
Do you like Brazilian music? I do. Thank you, Q.