FLY ME TO THE MOON, A Tribute to Quincy Jones

Entertainment — By Buddy Sampson on November 26, 2025 at 12:58 am

Quincy Jones’s legacy is woven into the very fabric of modern music, a rare blend of genius, curiosity, and relentless innovation that reshaped the sound of generations. As a composer, instrumentalist, arranger, and producer, he stood at the crossroads of jazz, soul, pop, film, and culture itself-always listening, always learning, always pushing forward.  His legacy was celebrated, recently in October at the Soraya Theater in Northridge, California, by the Pacific Jazz Orchestra, with sparkling performances from José James and Lisa Fischer. The tribute concert honored not only the extraordinary catalogue he left behind, but also the spirit with which he created it: open-hearted, boundary-breaking, and deeply attuned to the power of music to connect people.

Chris Walden, a GRAMMY Award-nominated bandleader and arranger, also founder and artistic director of the Pacific Jazz Orchestra, conducted the concert, and told personal stories of his encounters with Quincy Jones and how he influenced his own craft. The 17-piece big band was razor sharp, and featured pieces of Jones’ early work from the 50’s and 60’s.

“Pacific Jazz Orchestra is elated to celebrate Quincy Jones’ enduring legacy and groundbreaking contributions to American music, offering audiences a comprehensive look at the early works that shaped his illustrious career,” says Walden. He notes that Jones served on PJO’s Advisory Board until his passing last November.

Highlighting Jones’ prolific output, the program featured selections from his big band recordings, among them The Quintessence (1962), which exemplified his innovative approach to jazz orchestration. Also featured were some of Jones’ masterful arrangements for legendary singers such as Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan, including his collaboration on Vaughan and Violins (1959), in which Jones’ orchestration beautifully complements her vocal prowess. From Jones’ contributions to film and television scoring, Pacific Jazz Orchestra performed themes from The Pawnbroker (1964) and In the Heat of the Night (1967), which illustrated Quincy Jones’ tremendous versatility and uncanny ability to convey complex emotions through music as well as his significant impact on the soundscape of American cinema.

.Throughout the evening there were splendid solos from many in the band. But the evening belonged to José James and Lisa Fischer. James, a jazz vocalist for the hip-hop generation, captivated the audience with soulful renditions of Quincy’s songs from that era. Fischer, a Grammy-winning artist featured in the Oscar-winning film “Twenty Feet from Stardom,” spent four decades singing background for The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Sting, Tina Turner, and Nine Inch Nails, made waves with her spectacular vocal range.

Though he passed away recently, his influence continues to pulse through every riff, rhythm, and harmonic surprise we hear today. This evening, artists, friends, and audiences gathered to honor not just a towering figure in music history, but a mentor, a visionary, and a friend whose impact will resonate for generations to come.

The Soraya is located at California State University/Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330, For more information on future performances,  visit www.the soraya.org or call (818) 677-3000.