Entertainment
Remembering Quincy Jones: 10 songs from across his career to honor his legacy
Few artists can boast such a legacy that their name alone could be considered synonymous with the music industry, but nevertheless, most musicians aren’t like this prodigy producer Quincy Jones.
The extraordinary figure died on Sunday evening at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. He was 91 years old and was to receive the award Honorary Academy Award later this month.
Over the course of his career, Jones, a 28-time Grammy Award winner, has worked with everyone from Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson with tons of in between. The best way to honor his legacy is, in fact, by listening to the music he created.
Read on after which listen to all of the songs on our Spotify playlist, here.
1963: Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie’s Orchestra, “Honeysuckle Rose”
Those who want to start listening to Jones on the very starting of his career can accomplish that with “Liza” from his first album, Jazz Abroad, released with Roy Haynes. As for others, take a look at his arrangements in “Ella and Basie!” from 1963 Fitzgerald album with Count Basie’s orchestra. Moving from vocals and bass to its own greatness – not to mention Fitzgerald’s stunning scat solo – the album’s “Honeysuckle Rose” exemplifies Jones’ jazz brilliance.
1963: Lesley Gore, “It’s My Party”
Teen heartbreak met its counterpart in Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party,” recorded when the pop singer was still an adolescent. Jones produced an album with addictive melodies, percussion and a cheerful brass section – emotionally and diametrically opposed to the narrative story of a lady who, on her birthday, is abandoned by her boyfriend for her best friend. You’d cry too if it happened to you.
1964: Frank Sinatra, “Fly Me to the Moon”
Jones’ legacy is defined by his specific ability to master various American musical forms with conspicuous ease. Such is the case with this canonized cover by Frank Sinatra, “Fly Me to the Moon” from Sinatra’s 1964 album “It Might as Well Be Swing” arranged by Jones. The producer gave the song a powerful, swinging rhythm and a longing flute, and the remaining is history. You may also thank Jones for “The Best Is Yet It Come.”
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1967: Ray Charles, “In the Heat of the Night”
Jones scored the 1967 film “In the Heat of the Night,” which incorporates the gospel-style R&B title song “In the Heat of the Night,” performed by his good friend Ray Charles. It’s a soul committed to wax, enhanced by the inclusion of a rousing tenor saxophone solo.
1979: Michael Jackson, “Don’t stop until you’ve had enough”
Perhaps Jones’ most famous production collaboration is with Michael Jackson, during which he collaborated with the King of Pop on his culture-changing albums: 1979’s “Off the Wall,” 1982’s “Thriller” and 1987’s “Bad.” The couple met while working on the 1978 film “Wizard” —Jones was working on the film’s soundtrack, and Jackson was its star. With its inventive disco-funk, ambitious production and Jackson’s signature falsetto, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” set the stage for what would grow to be an enormous career.
1981: Quincy Jones, “Just Once”
Place it within the pantheon of great piano ballads: On Jones’ 1981 album “The Dude,” James Ingram takes over vocal duties on “Just Once,” a song with big heart and greater feelings.
1982:Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean”
What songs are more recognizable? An prolonged drum and bass lick introduces “Billie Jean,” certainly one of the best genre-averse pop songs of all time, from Jackson’s record-breaking album “Thriller.” Here, Jones’ production is post-disco, but still funky, still prophetic. And time tells the best story: “Thriller” sold higher it sold over 20 million copies in 1983 alone and equaled, amongst others, the Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971-1975 because the best-selling album of all time.
(*10*)1982: Donna Summer, “Love’s in Control (Finger on the Trigger)”
And now for something completely different: in 1982 he collaborated with Jones Donna Summer on her self-titled album dance-forward, which incorporates the synth-pop single “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)”, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
1985: USA for Africa, “We are the world”
Nearly 4 many years ago, a number of the biggest stars on the planet – including Jackson, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen – gathered for an all-night recording session. The result was “We are the world”, a pop superhit overseen by Jones, a 1985 charity record for African famine relief.
Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was certainly one of the lead vocalists, called Jones the “principal orchestrator.”
1989: Quincy Jones with Ray Charles and Chaka Khan, “I’ll be good to you”
In 1976, Jones produced the Brothers Johnson R&B hit “I’ll Be Good to You” after which re-recorded the song with Ray Charles and Chaka Khan – a spirited number with a recent production, completely changing the classic.
Entertainment
Jussie Smollett’s 2019 Self-Attack Conviction Overturned – Andscape
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the choice to fireside an actor Jussie Smollett conviction on charges of organizing a racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lying to police.
The the state’s highest court ruled that the special prosecutor shouldn’t have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for waiving $10,000 bail and performing community service. The ruling and appeal didn’t address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence.
Smollett, who’s black and gay, claims two men attacked him, hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and placed a noose around his neck, resulting in an enormous seek for suspects by Chicago police and sparking a world uproar. Smollett was starring in a television drama that was filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged that he organized the attack because he was unhappy with the studio’s response to hate mail he received.
“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and considered it unfair,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in a 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, more unfair than the resolution of any single criminal case would be for this court to find that the state is not obliged to honor agreements on which people have relied to their detriment.”
Smollett’s attorneys argued that the case ended with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped initially 16 counts of disorderly conduct. A grand jury reinstated the fees after a special prosecutor took over the case. The jury convicted Smollett of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021
Emails searching for comment were sent Thursday to Foxx’s office and Smollett’s attorney, who argued that Smollett was the victim of a racist and politicized justice system.
Testimony at trial showed that Smollett paid $3,500 to 2 men he knew to perform the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what insults to shout and shout that Smollett was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.
Smollett testified that “there was no fraud” and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.
He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, six of which he had already served released pending further notice — 30 months probation and ordered to pay roughly $130,000 in restitution.
The state appeals court’s ruling upheld Smollett’s conviction, declaring that nobody promised Smollett that he would not face a brand new charge after accepting the unique deal.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham didn’t take part in Thursday’s decision.
Entertainment
Lil Baby didn’t just rap about change – he went to Harvard to achieve it – Essence
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lil Baby speaks on stage on the ASCAP R&S Music Celebration on the London Hotel on June 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)
Lil Baby will not be only considered one of the most important names in hip-hop – he can also be an aspiring entrepreneur who’s serious about taking his business knowledge to the subsequent level.
The GRAMMY Award-winning rapper recently participated in Harvard Business School’s “Launching New Ventures” program, a prestigious short course designed to help entrepreneurs grow their ventures through modern strategies. The program, which will not be a level-granting initiative, focuses on key entrepreneurial tools, including opportunity assessment, competitive evaluation and developing sustainable business models, – we read on this system’s website.
For Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, the move was greater than just earning bragging rights. Known for hits like and , the Atlanta native has all the time been open about his desire to construct a legacy beyond music. As head of his record label 4PF (Four Pockets Full), he is committed to creating opportunities for artists and running a business that will not be only profitable, but in addition influential. However, he realized that running a successful label required honing his skills, and Harvard was the right place for this.
Movie shared on X On Wednesday, we got to see Lil Baby participating within the show. The clip ended on a touching note as he was presented together with his certificate of completion, followed by a surprise ceremony organized by his family.
While critics were quick to indicate that he didn’t “graduate” from Harvard – despite misleading headlines – his decision to commit to this system is critical in itself. Shows like “Launching New Ventures” offer insights that may transform corporations and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges, and Lil Baby’s presence signals his commitment to constructing a legacy that goes far beyond music. For Lil Baby, the move is an element of a broader commitment to securing his position not only as a rapper, but in addition as a mogul. His commitment to self-improvement reflects the values he promotes through his music: perseverance, resilience and development.
It’s also value noting that Lil Baby’s decision to attend Harvard sends a powerful message to his community, especially Black entrepreneurs. In a world where barriers to business education still exist, his decision to pursue higher education shows that it’s never too late – or too unconventional – to take what you are promoting seriously.
As Lil Baby grows, one thing is obvious: his diligence knows no limits. Whether he’s behind the microphone or within the classroom, he proves that the important thing to success is to continually strive for more.
Entertainment
More proof that you’re old: Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” album debuted 30 years ago
I actually remember November 1994. I used to be a sophomore in highschool and was still very clumsy and goofy. I hadn’t yet experienced what anyone would call a growth spurt, as evidenced by the very fact that my younger sister (three years younger) was taller than me. At this point in my life, I assumed I used to be destined to be certain I had a terrific personality that would give me a romantic future. I used to be told about one young student who was in love with me, but being 15 and never big, I didn’t really trust in my ability to pursue a dating life. In 1994, I saw myself because the Steve Urkel with no unreachable neighbor.
In 1994, I had a real love: music. I kept buying cassettes and compact discs; there was at all times music around me. Listening to the newest music from anyone and everybody was my hobby. Mary J. Blige was one in every of those artists that I used to be an enormous fan of. I mean, everyone really was. Her album “What’s the 411?” was released in July 1992, so when school began in August, it was one in every of those albums that everyone was talking about. “True Love” and him one other hip-hop remix the most popular songs were on fire and you can start an impromptu jam session in my middle school dining room by simply saying “true love” out loud.
To say that the anticipation for Mary’s second album was enormous can be the understatement of the yr. I still remember being blown away by the music video for the primary single “Be Happy” on MTV and BET’s “Video Soul”. I remember this mainly because I used to be so frightened about Mary’s life standing on those rocks. Of course she survived the video session, but I used to be very concerned for her safety. I could not imagine life without Mary. I purchased this single and mainly burned a hole in it.
Then got here the monster single “I’m Goin’ Down.” The remake of Rose Royce’s single from the movie “Car Wash” (titled “I’m Going Down”) had all of the black girls in my highschool able to break up with their boyfriends so that they too could sing about it lost love – teenage hormones cause strange problems. Let me just say this for the record: Mary’s version of this song is totally amazing. Her performance on the album is known; you can hear all the experience through her vocals.
If Mary stopped making music at this point, she would already be a legend, I actually consider that. But this whole album is a radiator from start to complete. Even today, once I hearken to “My Life”, my search ends in failure; “My Life” is largely a consolation at this point in my life. From “You Bring Me Joy” to the title track to the ultimate minute of “I Never Wanna Live Without You,” this album is a portal back in time to a version of me that was interested by what life had to supply. I used to be given the vocal type of Mary J. Blige to soundtrack this journey.
It’s also crazy to think about it this manner: “My Life” got here out at a time in my life once I was already driving a automotive. Sure, I used to be 15, but my father also let me drive himself, my siblings, and my friends wherever we would have liked to go because he got bored with running errands. We just agreed that if I got pulled over, he would not know I used to be taking the automotive. Coincidentally, although I used to be in a position to use the automotive at no cost for a solid yr before I could even apply for a driving license, I failed my driving test the primary time I took it on my sixteenth birthday. You’ve never seen a father more lost and upset in his son than my father was that day. We now call my father’s facial expressions “core memory.”
If you’re reading this because you’ve got seen the words of Mary J. Blige and “My Life,” you then, like me, are in a phase of life where you’re continually reminded that you’re not only getting old, but you might actually be old. I will not be old as hell, but I’m too old to be within the club, you realize?
Fortunately, nonetheless, my journey so far in my life includes a number of the best works of musical art in existence, similar to Mary J. Blige’s 1994 album “My Life.” This album – just like the profession of its lead voice, Mary J. Blige – brings me joy.
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