Join us as we kick off the USC Thornton School of Music’s year-long tribute to Quincy Jones, who, at 91, is celebrating seven decades of unprecedented professional creativity and excellence as a trailblazing cultural figure. On the 50th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s passing, USC Thornton presents a rare screening of Duke Ellington… We Love You Madly. The thrilling 1973 concert special was Quincy Jones’s television debut as music director and conductor for the groundbreaking composer, alongside a stellar lineup of musicians including Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr., and Aretha Franklin. The screening will be followed by a conversation with key Quincy Jones collaborators. 

 This event is part of Quincy Jones: Beyond Category, an event series organized by the USC Thornton School of Music to explore, elevate, and celebrate Quincy Jones’s life and legacy. Working across styles and idioms including classical, jazz, pop, R&B, and film scoring—and breaking ground for African American achievement in the entertainment industries—Jones has garnered the highest levels of critical and commercial acclaim. 

This event is presented by USC Visions & Voices: the Arts & Humanities Initiative.

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Admission is free and open to the public. Please check back for guests to be announced. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Thursday, August 1 at 10 a.m.