Collection: Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones (1933-2024) became one of music's most influential figures, but his foundation was jazz. Starting as a trumpeter with Lionel Hampton in the early 1950s, he quickly established himself as a brilliant arranger, leading Dizzy Gillespie's big band tours and studying composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. His 1956 debut This Is How I Feel About Jazz assembled an all-star cast including Art Farmer, Charles Mingus, and Phil Woods, showcasing his gift for making large ensembles swing with soulful, modern edge. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, he recorded sophisticated big band albums for ABC-Paramount and Mercury, whilst arranging landmark sessions for Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and Dinah Washington.

Though he later produced Michael Jackson's Thriller and became a pop culture icon, Jones never abandoned jazz. His early 1970s albums like Walking in Space bridged jazz and fusion, and in 1991 he conducted Miles Davis's final concert at Montreux. With 28 Grammy wins from a record 80 nominations, Jones remained a towering figure across all music until his death in November 2024.