05/11/2024
This Time By Basie was one of my parents’ absolute favourite albums. My dad would carefully remove it from the sleeve, clean it, load it onto his turntable, and blast it at top volume! I don’t know how many times I heard it, but by the time I was about eight, I knew every note, every swinging phrase, every little bit of jazzy punctuation! The songs were already well known hits, but these delicious arrangements were all Quincy! It was my first introduction to his genius and I was hooked.
I have loved the music he has touched for my entire life. From Count Basie and Frank Sinatra, to Aretha, Chaka Khan & Rufus, and Donna Summer; Donny Hathaway, George Benson, and Michael Jackson, and, of course, We Are the World! And then there are the film/ television scores, among them Roots, The Wiz, and The Color Purple! The list of artists is lengthy, his catalogue is massive, and the accolades are plentiful!
Thank you, Quincy Jones, for these beautiful gifts that you have left for us all to enjoy. Even though you are gone, you’ll never be far away. I know that when I need you I can put on my headphones, sit right in the pocket of Soul Bossa Nova, and feel you all around me. ❤️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ALPzS0QfQ
