I love music with every bit of blood flowing through me. It’s my favorite hobby and pastime—the one thing you’ll always catch me doing is listening to music
I listen to varying genres of music. I would say my palate for experiencing music is vast. I love music so much I even made my own (self plug). I believe can change the world, in the same manner in which Quincy Jones did.
The Man
Quincy Jones passed away on November 3rd. I’m not going to write an incredibly long piece about his life—there are plenty of articles and documentaries covering that.
I will say, though, he was one of the most talented people to ever live—and quite the "snow bunny" enthusiast. What a life he led.
Truly, an elite in that regard. And I have to admit, he was a looker!
Quincy’s music, and his love thereof, was felt in the music he produced and the way he spoke about it. There is a not a single person in the world that can say they have not listened to a song produced by Quincy Jones. Whether it be Micheal Jackson, George Benson, Frank Sinatra, or watching one of the Austin Powers movies. Beyond music and movies, he created the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Vibe Magazine. The guy was a machine.
Sometimes I wish I was as passionate about something as Quincy was about making music.
Unlike Quincy, where is passion found him at an early age, I hope mine does not stay away from me for too long.
The Music
Having reached a certain point in his life, he was not afraid to share his unfiltered thoughts. There are numerous interviews of saying some wild things, especially the Vulture interview. The interview is my favourite because he says that the spirit of Jazz has left popular music. Stating that the pursuit of money has changed the way music is made and felt in today’s world. Innovation has been reduced.
I agree.
In my view, we lack innovation through instrumentation. While technology has made music production easier, it has also reduced our ability to innovate with instruments in popular music.
I want to emphasize that this view is strictly about pop music. I listen to an array of amazing jazz artists and bands doing wonderful things musically, but in pop, there is often little to no instrumentation—or genuine feeling. Don’t get me wrong; I adore much of today’s music, but it’s clear that true instrumentation is often missing in its creation.
A clear example is In the Stone by Earth, Wind & Fire compared to literally any song out right now. This song lets you feel every instrument in action, giving you one of the most exhilarating intros of all time. The percussion pulses warmly in your left ear, while ad-libs dance playfully from side to side. And we haven’t even gotten to the lyrics yet. What a song.
Another is Just Once, by Quincy Jones and James Ingram. Besides the immaculate vocals, the instrumentation extrapolates the feelings the lyrics conveys. What a song.
Point is, a computer can only but create so much feeling.
I will leave you with one of my favourite Quincy Jones songs, One Hundred Ways.
RIP to the snow bunny legend, Quincy.
- Brandon