AOJ...Art Blakey

Arthur Blakey
1919 - 1990
American Jazz Drummer, Composer, Bandleader

18" X 24"
acrylic on canvas (This was a test. I don't think i'll be doing acrylics again anytime soon. Stuff dries mad crazy, yo.)

In the words of Pete Townsend (talking about Mose Allison but nonetheless) "he was a jazz sage.." Not to mention one of the hardest working drummers of all time.

And talk about a guy who knows some guys...man, Blakey played with ALL the all-time greats. He co-founded the Jazz Messengers with the brilliant Horace Silver and enlisted the likes of Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Wayne Shorter, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard...Jesus, the list goes on and on. Maybe you know his work with Carolina boy Thelonious Monk? How about Bud Powell? Miles Davis?

If you own any jazz records then chances are he is playing drums on one of them. Unless you like Kenny G and shit in which case I can't help you.

NC Musician #8 - Max Roach

Maxwell Lemuel Roach
1927 - 2007
American Jazz Drummer
Born in Newland, NC

oil on wood
12" X 15"

When I was a kid I used to read the magazine Drums and Drumming. I don't think it's still around today...wait, maybe it was Modern Drummer? Anyway, I remember there being a cover story on Max Roach and the caption read "The man who changed the way you play drums." At the time I was probably playing drums along to the Cure and 7Seconds so I wasn't quite sure how he changed the way I played drums but I remembered the caption nonetheless.

Now that I understand things a little bit better I've come to realize that Max Roach invented a style of playing (along with with Kenny Clarke) where time signatures are driven by the pattens on the ride cymbal rather than the bass drum, which was common at the time. This probably means nothing to most people but the point is nowadays everyone plays this way. Almost every style of drumming contains some derivative of this technique.

In addition to that, Max played with nearly every big timer in the biz. I really like this painting.

Another breadwinner from the Great North State!

AOJ....Billie Holiday

Eleanora Fagan AKA Billie Holiday
1915 - 1959
American singer

Oil on canvas
36" x 48"

Lady Day, the Queen of Song. She stood out from contemporaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, Sarah Vaughn and Dinah Washington because of her expressive style and dramatic delivery. Known for her unique phrasing and shaping of melodies. Also known for being a raging alcoholic and heroin addict. And even though she was long suffering in that department, had a slew of additional personal problems that led to multiple abusive relationships and eventually jail time, she was unarguably one of the most talented and influential singers in the history of American music. Her influence on pop singing cannot be stressed enough.

NC Musician #6(66) - Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack
1937 -
American singer and pianist
Born in Black Mountain, NC

22" X 30"
oil on wood

My Mom, when first hearing the Fugees version (if you can call it that) of "Killing Me Softly" exclaimed "Well, I don't like what they've done to this song at all. Why would you want to change the original?

And why would you really? I mean RF was a true queen of jazzy soul and RnB when she broke onto the scene. And she totally killed it with that tune. Did you know she won an Oscar for Best Song in 1974 for that jam. And did you know she is also a highly accomplished jazz and classical pianist? And check out this craziness ripped straight off the Wikipedia site:

"In November 1968, she recorded 39 song demos in less than 10 hours." Who the fuck does that?!?! And we're talking songs here...not blip bleeps and tape loops...real versechorusversechorusbridgechorus songs.

Oh yeah she also wrote that song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" which makes every woman in the world cry. Total babe too.

NC Musician #5 - Etta Baker

Etta Lucille Reid Baker
1913 - 2006
American Blues guitarist/singer
Born in Morganton, NC

oil on wood
15"X 20"

Ms. Baker played the guitar for 90 years, starting at age 3. I'm guessing that is why she was so good. It would be correct to assume that she was one of the greatest female guitar players of all time and most definitely a giant among blues enthusiasts and players.

Just another bell ringer for the ol' North State.

NC Musician(s) #3 and #4 - Doc and Merle Watson

Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson
1923 -
American singer, guitar player
Born in Deep Gap, NC

Edward "Merle" Watson
1949 - 1985
American guitar player
Born in Wilkesboro, NC

oil on wood
14"X30"

Doc and Merle were a legendary father and son bluegrass dream team. Any of their albums will stun you with the speed and beauty of the playing and singing. Doc was/is blind and still continues to tour. Most recently with our pal David Holt (coming soon!). Merle passed way too early when his tractor flipped over on top of him. Masters of their craft.

NC Musician #2 - Nina Simone

Eunice Kathleen Waymon
Born in Tryon, NC
1933 - 2003
American singer, songwriter, pianist

oil on panel
20"X 32"

I used to date a girl who would sing Nina Simone's version of "Sugar in My Bowl" all the time. I was never crazy about that song but it made me take interest in NS's work. I eventually realized just how powerful a force she was. Aside from being blessed with beauty and an incomparable voice, she was a take-no-shit activist and brilliant piano player. Plus she rocked the close crop look waaay before any of her lady contemporaries.

I suppose she could fit into the AOJ column but as she never like to be catogorized (thanks wikipedia!) and labeling her music "jazz" is a little too general, I will put her into the undeniable title of an NC born musician.

NC Musician #1 - George Clinton

George Clinton
Born in Kannapolis, NC
1941 -
American musician

oil on wood
18"X24"

I guess what I've decided to do here is blog about NC musicians and all sorts of jazz musicians (please see the heralded, Alphabets of Jazz series - AOJ for short, natch). You know what, I'll probably throw all sorts of people in but for now it's gonna be jazz and NC talent.

So.....George Clinton: mastermind of Parliament and Funkadelic and Parliament Funkadelic and P-Funk and various other funky derivatives. Undeniable innovator in the world of black rock, funk and disco...and for that matter, hip-hop. I think Mos Def is quoted as saying that Dr. Dre should celebrate George Clinton day...everyday.

I love George Clinton and pretty much everything he has ever done. Except the copious amounts of crack. I don't love crack.

AOJ... J.L. "Wes" Montgomery

J.L. "Wes' Montgomery
1923 - 1968
American guitar player

oil on canvas
20" X 24"

I know, I know, getting out of order here but I'm posting a bunch at once today and this is the one that started it all. I have to say that Wes is the first jazz musician I went gah gah over waaaay back when I was a small impressionable pre-bone. Dad had this great album (Boss Guitar) that I remember listening to over and over late at night while imagining making out with Michelle Knight. I thought I was really cool because I knew who WM was and everybody else was listening to fucking Poison. But there is a direct lineage between CC Deville and Wes Montgomery. No there isn't.

This painting by the way is now owned by the fantastic artist Harriett Goode from Rock Hill, SC.

AOJ...John Coltrane

John William Coltrane
1923 - 1967
American saxophone player

oil on panel
22" x 30"

Don't you know enough about this guy already? Did you know he was born in Hamlet, NC? No? Well it is true. Very close to the now defunct (so sad) Rockingham Speedway, which is where they filmed parts of Six Pack...So he makes the (coveted) lists as both an AOJ and a NC musician.

Other than that he pretty much changed the face of music - not just jazz, but music - forever.
Oh yeah and A Love Supreme is what you hear when you ride that golden nugget buggy to Valhalla, not Stairway to Heaven as is commonly believed.

AOJ...Donald Byrd

Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II
1932 -
American trumpet player

18'X24" oil on canvas

(One of) today's installment of Alphabets of Jazz is sultry funk-meister Donald Byrd. He got started as a Jazz Messenger, taking over after the untimely death of legendary trumpeter Clifford Brown (look for him in AOJ Vol.2). He made a bunch of fantastic albums but in the 70s he made Black Byrd which helped usher in a new stream of funky jazz which led to becomming one of Blue Note's highest selling albums...until some chick named Norah Jones came along and fucked everybody up.

You may also remember him from that album Blue Break Beats? No? Jesus, dude...go get that album. Anyway, that is where I first got introduced to him and it's full of all sorts of jazz funk nastiness.