A Great American Music Icon - Celebrating Quincy Jones 

Published July 11, 2025

A Great American Music Icon - Celebrating Quincy Jones 

by Chuck Reider

The Reno Jazz Orchestra (RJO) presents Jones’ music legacy on July 21 as a part of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare’s Monday Night Showcase music series and on July 22 as a part of Artown at UNR’s Quad.

Quincy Jones embodied the American dream, from the streets of Chicago to the rarified air of the musical elite.  Quincy D. Jones (answer to trivia quiz on his middle name at the end of this article) was born March 14, 1933, in Chicago. He was introduced to music by his mother, who unfortunately suffered a schizophrenic breakdown and was sent to a mental institution.  His father remarried, and the family moved to Seattle.  His music career began there on trumpet, but soon blossomed to composing and arranging.

Jones said Ray Charles was an early inspiration, noting Charles overcame blindness to reach his musical goals.  He also cited his father’s work ethic and his father’s motto, "Once a task is just begun, never leave until it's done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all." Trumpeter Jones began his big band career with Lionel Hampton at the age of 20.  He toured with several big bands, including his own, but unfortunately, reality set in.  He said, "We had the best jazz band on the planet, and yet we were literally starving. That's when I discovered that there was music, and there was the music business. If I were to survive, I would have to learn the difference between the two." 

His career began to take off working with Frank Sinatra in 1958 as an arranger and conductor.  He and Sinatra collaborated on albums for nearly 30 years, including Sinatra’s legendary album Live at the Sands.  Jones said, “Frank Sinatra took me to a whole new planet. I worked with him until he passed away in '98. He left me his ring. I never take it off. Now, when I go to Sicily, I don't need a passport. I just flash my ring.”  He produced his first number one hit in 1963 with Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party”.  Not busy enough, he began composing TV theme songs such as “Sanford and Son” and “Ironside,” which led to becoming an executive producer for 9 TV shows.  He began his 40-film score career in 1964 with “The Pawnbroker”. 

His credits include “In Cold Blood”, “The Getaway”, “The Color Purple,” and “The Wizard of Oz,” featuring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.  It was this work with Michael Jackson which resulted in three albums including the highest selling album of all time, “Thriller”.  Throughout his career, he produced 19 albums and 24 soundtrack albums of his own, including one of my favorites “The Dude”. There was only one person who could have pulled together 21 superstar vocalists and another 18 superstars to sing backup for “We Are The World” and that was “The Dude”, Quincy Jones.  His note above the entry to the studio, “Check Your Ego At The Door,” set the tone for the recording session that lasted all night.  The record became the fastest-selling American pop single in history.

RJO’s music director, Greg Johnson, has created a program of Jones’ music as well as music inspired by his “vibe” from “Come Fly With Me” to “We Are the World”.  Jones was a master of bringing out the best of artists, and Johnson will apply that ethos, featuring the RJO and guest vocalists Tasche and Danielle Pollard.  

He says all roads lead back to Quincy, and in fact, Quincy was largely responsible for Johnson’s career.  The Quincy Jones Production company listed him as a top young artist, which resulted in him working with such stars as Barry Manilow and Robin Thicke.  Johnson also has another small world connection with Quincy.  Kim Carnes, one of the many stars on “We Are the World,” is named after Johnson’s grandmother!  For these concerts, Johnson created two sets, the first starts with band features, after which Tasche takes the stage.  The second set opens with an original composition of Johnson’s “San Basie” based on an idea.  What if David Sanborn and Count Basie collaborated on a composition? Jones used alto saxophonist Phil Woods for film scores and alto saxophonist David Sanborn for live concerts.  RJO alto saxophonists Karl Busch and Dallas Smith will be featured as those voices on “The Midnight Sun Never Sets”.

Johnson met Tasche while performing with the Vybe Society.  Johnson found everything he likes about music in Tasche while expressing himself in a non-pretentious way. A man of many talents, Tasche is a music director, vocalist, and keyboardist who has toured with Tony! Toni! Toné!, Kenny Lattimore, Howard Hewett, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members of Sly & the Family Stone.

To learn more about the RJO and these upcoming concerts, visit: renojazzorchestra.org 

Check out these Quincy Jones related videos:

Trivia Question Answer: Quincy’s middle name is Delight!

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