Pharoah Sanders, giant of spirit-driven jazz, dies at 81
NPR Online NewsDec 23, 2022
Quincy Jones Dies Aged 91
Above: Quincy Jones at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, in 2014. Image copyright: Lionel Flusin/Gamma-Rapho/Contributor via Getty Images
The Facts
Quincy Jones, a titan of the music industry whose career spanned over 75 years, has died aged 91.
His death was confirmed by his publicist Arnold Robinson who said the musician and producer "passed away peacefully" in his Bel Air home on Sunday, surrounded by his family.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is a huge loss for the music community. Jones's work as a composer, arranger, producer, conductor, and scorer spanned decades and marked the apex of jazz, funk, and soul music in the twentieth century. He will be remembered as a pioneer and his spirit will live on through the thousands of records he worked on, which continue to be widely loved and listened to in the US and across the rest of the world.
Narrative B
The loss of Jones is undoubtedly a tragedy for the music industry, and although his widely popular productions remain loved, his death comes as the jazz scene he so electrified with his virtuosic prowess continues to dwindle. International surveys suggest jazz and blues persist as the least listened to genres worldwide, while the effects of the COVID pandemic and broader economic landscape continue to weaken fragile musical ecosystem, especially at the grassroots. These genres need a great like Jones now more than ever to reinvigorate and repopularize them with a new generation.