Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990)
115 min
The extraordinary life of Quincy Jones -- one of the 20th century's most influential and talented composers, musicians and music producers -- provides the basis of this offbeat, free-form documentary tribute. With little regard for formal timelines and traditional documentary biography methods, the film is an amazing patchwork of personal insights featuring a constellation of music stars including his long-time friend Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Herbie Hancock, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie and rappers Big Daddy Kane and Flavor Flav, as well as politicians, filmmakers and other important people. Some of the most moving scenes involve Jones returning to his childhood home in Chicago and recounting honest and painful memories from his childhood. Jones does not shy from discussing everything -- from his mother's mental illness, to his marital problems, to his serious health conditions. He also looks frankly at his career.
- Release date
- October 5, 1990
- Country of origin
- United States
- Music
- Quincy Jones
Soundtrack
- Listen Up (instrumental version) · Quincy Jones1:42
- Kansas City Wrinkle · Count Basie and Orchestra5:36
- Killer Joe · Quincy Jones4:27
- Let the Good Times Roll · Ray Charles2:49
- Air Mail Special · Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra4:04
- Perry's Theme (From the Motion Picture "In Cold Blood") · Quincy Jones2:15
- Kingfish · Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra1:56
- Birth of a Band · Quincy Jones2:43
- Fly Me to the Moon · Frank Sinatra and Count Basie and His Orchestra2:33
- The Midnight Sun Will Never Set · Sarah Vaughan2:47
- Rack 'em Up (From the Motion Picture "The Pawnbroker") · Quincy Jones0:49
- TV Medley: Theme From Ironside / Sanford and Son Theme / Hikky Burr (Theme From the Bill Cosby Show) · Quincy Jones1:34
Cast
- Clarence Avant as Self
- George Benson as Self
- Big Daddy Kane as Self
- Richard Brooks as Self
- Tevin Campbell as Self
- Ray Charles as Self
- Alvin Chea as Self
- Miles Davis as Self
- El DeBarge as Self
- Cedric Dent as Self
Crew
- Ellen Weissbrod · Director
- Ellen Weissbrod · Writer
- Courtney Sale Ross · Producer
- Quincy Jones · Composer
- Stephen Kazmierski · Cinematographer
- Milton Moses Ginsberg · Editor
- Pierre Kahn · Editor
- Andrew Morreale · Editor
- Laure Sullivan · Editor