Quincy Jones, a towering creative figure who couldn't be contained to any one "thing," whether it be a genre of music or job description, died on Nov. 3, 2024, at the age of 91.
Affectionately known as "Q," Quincy was a luminary in every sense — a masterful arranger, producer, composer and visionary entrepreneur, as well as a media mogul and cultural icon. While he wore many hats, jazz was always at his core.
In this special episode of Jazz Night in America, we honor Quincy's extraordinary jazz legacy with our host Christian McBride, who bonded with him over the years.
McBride gives us a rare inside look of some of their hilarious exchanges in addition to some resonant advice he received during his visit to Quincy's Bel-Air mansion. We also hear his favorite Quincy Jones arrangements and collaborations, from Dizzy Gillespie and Art Framer to Count Basie and Frank Sinatra.
"Quincy cherished his jazz life and the people in it — even when he was making huge pop hits," McBride shares. "Only Q could've put organist Jimmy Smith on Michael Jackson's "Bad!"
Set List:
All songs arranged by Quincy Jones
- "The Birth of a Band" (Quincy Jones)
From the album The Birth of a Band! by Quincy Jones (Mercury, 1959) - "Jessica's Day" (Quincy Jones)
From the album World Statesman by Dizzy Gillespie (Norgran, 1956) - "Mau Mau" (Art Farmer, Quincy Jones)
From the album The Art Farmer Septet by Art Farmer (Prestige, 1956) - "Quince" (Quincy Jones)
From the album Basie One More Time: Music from the Pen of Quincy Jones by Count Basie (Roulette, 1959) - "Easy Living" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin)
From the album For Those in Love by Dinah Washington (EmArcy, 1955) - "Fly Me to the Moon" (Bart Howard)
From the album It Might As Well Be Swing by Frank Sinatra with Count Basie and His Orchestra (Reprise, 1964) - "Where or When" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
From the album Sinatra at the Sands by Frank Sinatra (Reprise, 1966) - "Killer Joe" (Benny Golson)
From the album Walking in Space by Quincy Jones (A&M, 1969) - "Jazz Corner of the World (Introduction to 'Birdland')" (Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee)
From the album Back on the Block by Quincy Jones (Qwest, 1989) - "Birdland" (Joe Zawinul)
From the album Back on the Block by Quincy Jones (Qwest, 1989)
Credits:
Christian McBride, host; Sarah Geledi, writer and producer; Simon Rentner, consulting editor; Trevor Smith, consulting producer; Ron Scalzo, mastering; Nikki Birch, Mitra Arthur, video producers; Steven A. Williams, executive producer; Suraya Mohamed, executive producer at NPR Music; Keith Jenkins, vice president of visuals and music strategy at NPR.
Copyright 2024 WBGO
