Once upon a band, Woody Herman’s, there came a cadre of saxophone players who meshed thrillingly. In the second incarnation of Herman’s Herd they were heard and believed. They live happily ever after on YouTube and in the Heart of Jazz. The End–The Livin’ End!
Now it can be told: My recent interest in the saxophone and the world of jazz is due to my acceptance of a commission to do a portrait of Stan Getz, the tenor saxophonist known as The Sound. I knew next to nothing about Getz, and was completely unfamiliar with the structure of the saxophone. Now, with several drawings under my belt, armed with the critically praised STAN GETZ: A LIFE IN JAZZ by Donald L. Maggin, and (just as important) having listened to some Getz sides, I am well on the way to meeting my deadline of April Fool’s Day with some familiarity with Mr. Getz and the world he inhabited. This is an enjoyable project, and I think I’ll come out of it a better artist. I’m a long way from the finish line, though!
Here is a new drawing, a work in progress. For the first time there is a real effort to put some of the keys and rods where they belong–to learn how things work together. There’s also “post-production” work with the tablet’s photoeditor, experimenting with selective focus and “mood lighting.” All of this is in the service of making the final drawing of the series more genuine, and all that jazz.
Here is a sketching jam session of sorts, done while riffling through the history of jazz. A serendipitous find: Gary Frommer, the drummer my parents picked up hitchhiking one fateful night and later decided to name their unborn child after, was once part of a Stan Getz combo! Small world . . .
For reasons that will be explained in a future post, I’ve begun to be immersed in the world of jazz, focusing on the tenor saxophone. The above title refers to a VISUAL learning, and not learning to play, though I’ve got a little background in clarinet and have sometimes daydreamed about taking up the sax.
At any rate, though I am lightyears from knowing this marvelously-shaped instrument, I have started seeing saxophones where there are none, in the shape of streetlights, swans from the neck up, and playground slides. My goal is to be able to draw a convincing tenor sax from various angles without having to rely on a photo source. To that end, I’ve done a lot of looking and a little sketching, as revealed here . . .
One with Clay, Image and Text 