Jazz Arrangers a century of big band writing, 1920s–present

Jazz arranging · Hard Bop, Modal & Post-Bop

QuincyJones

b. 1933 arranger · composer · orchestrator

Jones's arranging style evolved from bebop-influenced jazz in the 1950s to sophisticated soul-jazz and eventually pop…

expansive registeriridescent colorpropulsive motion
Portrait of Quincy Jones
Los Angeles Times, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Predominant era
Hard Bop, Modal & Post-Bop
Lifespan
b. 1933
Signature
expansive register
00

Bio · 32 words

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was born in Chicago and grew up in Seattle, where he studied trumpet and composition. He toured with Lionel Hampton's band as a teenager before studying at Berklee.

01

Musical style

Sound DNA

Five shared dimensions make the arranger’s musical priorities visible at a glance.

Quincy Jones sound DNA Comparative profile of color, space, register, density, and motion.
The same scale is used throughout the collection.
Color87

Iridescent

Instrumental color leads the design.

Space50

Compact

Ideas arrive in tightly packed frames.

Register96

Expansive

Wide spans define the orchestral frame.

Density69

Layered

Several musical planes coexist.

Motion79

Propulsive

Rhythm actively drives the architecture.

02

Orchestration

Technique deck

Select a card to spotlight a device drawn from this arranger’s orchestral language.

03

Music first

Scores & orchestras

Switch recordings to compare how this arranger’s musical priorities shape each orchestral profile.

This Is How I Feel About Jazz · 1957

Sermonette

Jones's arrangements for his own big band showcase his early style, featuring Art Farmer, Phil Woods, and Herbie Mann.

Listen forNotice how register shapes the orchestral profile.

Find listening example on YouTube
Comparative orchestral profile
Color 75
Register 86
Density 63
Motion 73
expansive registeriridescent colorpropulsive motion

Profile derived from the arranger’s documented style and recording notes; exact instrumentation is not asserted.

04

Start here

Three essential albums

One line each—enough context to choose the next listen.

  1. 01 1957 This Is How I Feel About JazzQuincy Jones Jones's arrangements for his own big band showcase his early style, featuring Art Farmer, Phil Woods, and Herbie Mann.
  2. 02 1963 Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie!Count Basie Orchestra Jones arranged this entire album for Basie, demonstrating his mastery of the Kansas City tradition.
  3. 03 1964 It Might as Well Be SwingFrank Sinatra & Count Basie Jones's arrangements perfectly marry Sinatra's phrasing with Basie's band.