The band toured all over North America and Europe until disbanding due to financial troubles. In 1958, Eddie Barclay Et Son Grand Orchestre and Quincy Jones released Et Voila! Over the next few years, he formed a band with eighteen other musicians called The Jones Boys. Soon after, he moved to Paris and became the Music Director of Barclay Discs. Jones released his first solo album in 1956, titled This Is How I Feel About Jazz. An invitation to play trumpet on tour with Lionel Hampton's band prompted him to step away from Berklee and ultimately helped his professional career take off. Jones briefly studied at what is now known locally as Berklee College of Music.

The two became close friends and musical collaborators, with a young Jones doing freelance arrangements for Charles as well as other musicians such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Following a move to Bremerton, Washington, he began getting lessons from bandleader and record producer Robert Blackwell.Īt 14 years old, he met a then-16-year-old Ray Charles. He picked up the trumpet while in elementary school in Chicago. Jones first got an introduction to music from his mom singing church songs around the house and his neighbor, a pianist. was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1933 to Sarah Frances, a bank officer and apartment complex owner, and Quincy Delight Jones Sr., a semi-professional baseball player. Whether it be through recording, arranging, scoring, producing, or working in management or distribution, his impact is still felt today. Quincy Jones has broken barriers and brought tremendous talent to every area of the music and entertainment industry he has worked in. Continue reading to learn about Quincy Jones' groundbreaking career. Step inside the vault to discover the life and legacy of some of the world's greatest soul artists, both past and present. To celebrate Black Music Month, we are excited to be bringing back our Vault of Soul series by spotlighting a soul artist every Friday of June.

A Soul to Steal by Rob Blackwell