![]() While the label was thrilled to discover its new vice president had an ear for both styles, it did not immediately realize that Jones’s musical ambitions went far beyond the commercial limitations of what was then still a racially biased system of radio promotion in the U.S. At Mercury, Jones had the power to make albums with both emerging and established jazz stars, but it was as a producer of teen pop by the likes of Lesley Gore that he generated the most hit singles and immediate profits. The rising popularity of early R&B and rock and roll had allowed more black talent to create hit records for white companies, but it was still rare for black executives to have authority over the means of production or distribution. When Jones made history in 1961 by becoming the first black Vice President of Artists and Repertoire at white-owned Mercury Records, many touring black musicians still could not stay or perform in segregated hotels. It’s hard to say why more of those awards failed to come his way, but listening to some of his film scores back to back, you can’t miss the sly sophistication and sheer artistry of soundtracks as different in sound and inspiration as The Slender Thread (1965), In the Heat of the Night (1967), and The Italian Job (1969). Yet, as groundbreaking as many of his projects for stage and screen were, his Grammy awards (twenty-eight!) greatly outnumber his Oscar, Emmy, and Tony wins. 1933) reveals a man of vast artistic range, whose contributions to movies, television, and Broadway are just as stellar as his work in studios and concert halls. Even a casual glance at the résumé of formally trained composer, producer, and arranger Quincy D. In America, black musical genius has never been in short supply, though it hasn’t always been recognized or fairly compensated. ![]() ![]() Above photo: © Chuck Stewart Photography, LLC ![]()
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