The man is my musical hero. He can do anything (though I haven’t heard him tackle country or classical…maybe it’s out there too).
I started noticing the name attached to TV show themes I’d hear growing up (“wow, who did that?”). There were more revelations on his LPs at that time which pointed to what he’d already been doing for years with his own big swing band, and writing and arranging music for others. His arrangements for Count Basie are among my favorite Basie tracks ever. The Quincy Jones band/orchestra albums for Mercury in the 60s were amazing in their range of emotion…from cool to thoughtful to downright fun (Mike Myers lifted his goofy “Austin Powers” theme straight off of one of those albums).
His musical ideas formed a seamless fit with the voices of Sinatra and Aretha Franklin.
And Quincy Jones’ arrangments and background tracks were the only part of Micheal Jackson that could make me want to listen. I personally doubt the King of Pop would have risen so fast if it weren’t for the work of Quincy Jones lifting him up, though Mr. Jones never sought to grab the spotlight.
All this to preface a marvelous quote I just read in an Associated Press story about Quincy Jones being interviewed at an ASCAP event recently.
I think I’m going to have to have it bronzed and mounted over my computer screen.
“Get a big dream, so if you get halfway there, you’re still OK.” — Quincy Jones.
Who knew he could give good advice to voiceover people as well?
— over and out —
