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Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones
by
Quincy Jones
Musician, composer, producer, arranger, and pioneering entrepreneur Quincy Jones has lived large and worked for five decades alongside the superstars of music and entertainment -- including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Ray Charles, Will Smith, and dozens of others. Q is his glittering and moving life story, told with the style, passion,...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
October 8th 2002
by Harlem Moon
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A must read for any TRUE fan of music. Most people my age only know Quincy for his pop music espcially Michael Jacksons Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. But Quincy was also a major player in the jazz game for decades before venturing into pop. He olayed with all the major jazz stars toured Europe with his own band and is one of the last of the original bebop guys. His genius has transcended generations, genres, AND racial boundaries. And amazing journey. Of course their is no intricate literary s...more
The man I always knew was a master of music production and composition has now become my patron saint of commitment, passion, social change, and wisdom. Quincy's life is way too rich and astounding to be put in such a small book.
Through interviews from friends, relatives, personal insight, this autobiography lights up Q's life from all angles.
If you have a tiny interest in the man's work, you will be wearing a "What Would Quincy Do" bracelet by the 5th chapter...more
Through interviews from friends, relatives, personal insight, this autobiography lights up Q's life from all angles.
If you have a tiny interest in the man's work, you will be wearing a "What Would Quincy Do" bracelet by the 5th chapter...more
I did not read all of this. After the first 200 pages, I pretty much knew what he'd grown up with (crazy mother, angry stepmother, emotionally absent father, and life of deliquency saved by amazing talent arranging music). At that point I got sick of all the language and didn't care about the name dropping or the sleeping and drugging around and skimmed to the end. He produced some amazing music, but he's not a life model I'm chosing to follow.
Considering his crushingly tragic childhood, to go on to win nearly every major music award is unbelievable. He worked with an amazing range of major jazz/pop stars, doing everything from trumpet performance with jazz greats, to arranging for Sinatra, to going bankrupt touring Europe with an all-star big band, to producing for Michael Jackson, to writing award-winning film music, to producing rap. Incredibly diverse, successful career! I now discuss Quincy Jones in my college Brass Pedagogy clas...more
Kelli
marked it as to-read
I just saw "The Color Purple" and I loved it. While I was reading the Who's Who section of the program, I came across Quincy Jones as a producer and read some really cool things about him. He is one of only five living people to win an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy. Crazy, huh?!
I'm a huge fan of most of Q's long musical career, projects, and music. Unfortunately this book lacks the polish of a reputable editor or journalist. While Jones is interesting and has a life of incredible collaboration and accomplishments, the writing is a bit amateur.
Don't read this book. It may have been good had Quincy Jones decided to write it by himself, instead of having various people in his life write every other chapter. Because of this many of the stories in this book get told more then once
I enjoyed reading Q's funny stories about his interactions with the early jazz greats when he was just a teenager! He shares snapshots of his earliest memories of the music world not to mention his contributions to musical history. Hello? Thriller...We Are The World??? He worked with Ella, with Duke Ellington, played on stage with a high out of her mind but brilliant Billie Holliday.
On a personal note, I read this book while my mother was battling cancer. Eery how the chapter on his...more
On a personal note, I read this book while my mother was battling cancer. Eery how the chapter on his...more
Instead of reading this autobiography, I recommend you get the audio copy. It is recorded by Quincy and many jaz greats that were important to his life and music. I listened to it in my car and hated to end my trips.
Quincy Jones should be voted the most important musical figure of the century. What hasn't he done? Growing up in the Seattle area, it should be a must read for all Seattleites.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this amazing man. From his beginnings, to the life of fame.
Interesting to read it from Q's own perspective.
Interesting to read it from Q's own perspective.
I enjoyed reading this book because he has contributed so much to
the music industry.
the music industry.
Recommend to any music lover. A special bonus for those who grew up in Seattle :)
Quincy has done it all. What a life. Great read.
Quincy Jones has led a remarkable life: Raised on the South Side of Chicago, an institutionalized mother, a young band leader who traveled Europe, nursed by older talents and a nurse to younger ones.
More than anything, though, this autobiography is candid. He describes his failings as well as his successes.
I actually listened to the audio book, which I strongly recommend. A chapter where the central focus is an ex-wife, a son, or a protege, is actually narrarrated by tha...more
More than anything, though, this autobiography is candid. He describes his failings as well as his successes.
I actually listened to the audio book, which I strongly recommend. A chapter where the central focus is an ex-wife, a son, or a protege, is actually narrarrated by tha...more
Very good information on a noted musical icon. He is human after all!
Philly Aesthete Brown
rated it
Not your typical self-aggrandizing memoir. Q tells the truth on himself even when that truth isn't very pretty. Too, this book can be used as a primer for how to stay relevant as a musician, arranger, producer, songwriter, label exec, film composer and bandleader in an industry that thinks 40 is ancient. Q has one of the most accomplished and polyvalent careers in music, and is first and foremost a humanist and a thinker.
excellent
Yah, he did it all. He hung the fucking moon AND invented sliced bread, all while simultaneously laying Cleopatra, Aphrodite, and Joan of Arc, playing Bolero on the damn trumpet, and reinventing pop music. Quite a guy, Q was, if he does say so himself.
This cat has been everywhere and met everybody! His life and take on the music business is very interesting. I wish I knew everyone he was talking about. It's no surprise that he is very influential in the music biz.
a little bit boring, unless you have a firm handle on all the be-bop and jazz from the 50s. can be a bit tedious, but some great stories of his life. he has an interesting spiritual perspective to his wealth and success.
You don't have to necessarily like him to like his book. I found it very interesting. But my book club members had very different views of this book - most of any book we've read.
Q is probably my idol. ( holiest of terms) What he went through,economically, physically and psychologically, while still become one of americas musical masterminds is amazing/
I've always admired the work of Quincy Jones and it was interesting to see where he started as a young man and how he became so successful.
Love this book. He has lead a very interesting life.
Qunicy Jones has LIVED. Wow.
A very interesting read - what a life!
Tony
added it
Awesome. What a life!
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