David Chambers

MUS 4947
Nina Packer
Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones

The story of most musicians is commonly one of struggle and triumph, Q: The
Autobiography of Quincy Jones is certainly no exception to this. Before becoming the
composer and well-known music figure that he is today, Quincy Jones was just another
kid from the Southside of Chicago. At an early age Quincy Jones was a gifted musician,
however, he had not realized it I had no music in me then is what jones said about
himself at a young age. As a boy Jones and his brother would run with gangs, steal, and
find themselves in some other aspects of trouble as they were hustling to survive. His
mother, who was a former church pianist, was taken to an asylum when he and his
brother were very young. This was no environment for children to be in so shortly after
this their father, Quincy Sr., decided to move them to Kentucky to temporarily live with
their grandmother. While in Kentucky He and his brother had to eat whatever their
grandmother could find. His father had gone away also to make more money to support
him and his brother. Gone for almost a year, his father finally returned and they moved to
Seattle where it all started. It was in Seattle where Jones had truly discovered his love for
music. He took up the trumpet and was a natural, he felt as though music was his escape
from reality, his safe haven. For the first time in my life, I felt no loneliness, no pain, no
fear, but rather joy, relief, and even understanding. He was so hungry for music that he
would hang around all the clubs and jook joints in town just to get a taste of what the pros

were doing. He got a job working in the basement under one of the hottest clubs in town,
where he met a trumpet player in Count Basies band by the name of Clark Terry.
Unbeknownst to Terry, he would become Quincys first private teacher. At age thirteen
Jones would wake up every morning at six a.m. to rush over to Terrys place to get
lessons before school. Jones had also started to write music and it was Terry who would
be the person to encourage Jones to continue writing music. I cant help but think, What
if Id said, Kid put that stuff up on a shelf or something Terry was certainly glad he
encouraged Jones to pursue his dreams. Over the next few years Quincy Jones continued
to make an impact on every musician he would meet. Ray Charles said that Quincy jones
was a guy who genuinely understood music on a deeper aspect. He would learn a concept
and perfect it and use it the next day, he was just fascinated by the different thing that
could be done. After Graduating high school, Jones was accepted into what is now
Berklee College of music; it was his piece entitled the four winds that helped him gain
acceptance and recognition. While in school He was recruited to do a few recording
sessions in New York city; it was here where he would meet Charlie Parker and other
notable jazz artists. Throughout the years Quincy Jones has composed a multitude of
great works such as Michael Jacksons Thriller, the theme songs to both Sanford and Son,
and the Cosby Show, and many other film scores and albums. Quincy Jones is definitely
one of these most well known names when it comes to music production; he has worked
with many artists and has achieved great honors for his contributions to music and
American Culture.

Quincy Jones
Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones
United states: Crown Publishing Group 2001
416pp. $26.00
0 385 48896 3