i often collect photographs to use as inspiration for a new painting. i am currently working on a new series of paintings similar to the piano man acrylic on canvas that i created called music lives.my inspiration for this new music lives series comes from the photographs i love of musicians in the 1950′s and 1960′s. like the photo here depicting the jazz men of harlem, there is a sense of unity and creative focus within the images. the flow and movement represented by the vibe of artists like nat king cole and billie holiday of that time are poetic and vibrant. most interesting to me are the images of musicians playing at the piano or feeling the passion of a song at the mic, cigarette in hand. i am also drawn to photographs of our musicians and artists of today that seem to channel those before them in talent and style.
here are some great photographs that i found to act as inspiration in my latest art series ::: music lives.
nina simone
b.b. king live at club ebony 1994
michael jackson and stevie wonder
eric clapton, john lennon, mitch mitchell, keith richards 1969
john lennon
Gil Scott-Heron ::: poet and music legend
the beatles
l-boogie
jazz men in a nyc loft c. 1960
the music lives in us.
thelonious monk and john coltrane
dizzy gillespie
diana ross looking fierce.
dextor gordon
talib kweli on stage
tupac shakur the revolutionary
bob marley performing at roxy theater 1979
billie holiday
sam cook singing and smoking 1959
aretha franklin
bette midler live in vegas
janis joplin ::: free when she sings
muddy waters
elvis presely 1956
bob dylan circa 1970
nat king cole at the piano with a smoke
john coltrane on saxaphone
roger clyne & the peacemakers: celebrity theater phoenix, az
betty davis ::: funk soul diva
miles davis plays the blues
charlie parker on sax
tommy potter, charlie parker, dizzy gillespie, john coltrane at birdland, 1951
jimi hendrix on guitar
the lyricist ::: mos def
miles davis
saul williams ::: www.stopbeingfamous.com april cover photo
a crowd rocking out
