Quincy

The documentary tells the life of Quincy Jones. He grew up in a poor neighbourhood in Chicago, his mother was committed to hospital and his father was left alone. He began on trumpet, then arranged, then produced. He worked in jazz orchestras, wrote film scores, became an executive at a record company and produced the best selling records in popular music. The narrative follows the present too: Jones is in his eighties, has health problems and still does not stop working. Rashida Jones and Alan Hicks direct. The documentary dates from 2018 and was released on Netflix. One of its directors is Quincy Jones's daughter, which is both its strength and its limit; the access is complete and there is no distance. Its most concrete material is archive: home video shot over many years, studio recordings and tour footage are used. The period when Jones began working in film music is described in detail; black composers were not given work in that field in those years. Its best section is the studio work; how an arrangement is made is shown directly. The narrative enters personal matters as well: marriages, relations with his children and health problems are not hidden. Its limit is critical view; the narrative nowhere presses its subject. Who it is for: anyone curious about the history of music and Quincy Jones's work. Who it is not for: the register is admiring, the structure loose, and the running time long.