July 2011
7 posts
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Béla Fleck
Perhaps the world’s greatest banjo player, Béla Fleck bends and blends bluegrass, jazz, and funk into the finest infusion. He spent nine years playing in the band New Grass Revival before forming Béla Fleck & the Flecktones in 1988 with bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist Roy “Future Man” Wooten, and harmonica player Howard Levy. When Levy left the group, the Flecktones...
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October 2010
8 posts
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E. J. Gold's JazzArt Takes Stage at Mondavi Center →
“When the Delfaeyo Marsalis Octet performs at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis Nov. 3 through 6, E.J. Gold’s JazzArt paintings will join them on the stage of Mondavi’s intimate Vanderhoef Studio Theater…”
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Jazz Art at the Mondavi Center for the Performing... →
My Jazz paintings will be on exhibit at the Mondavi Center, beginning November 3rd, together with work by world-renowned artist, E.J. Gold, and fellow Grass Valley Graphics Group artists, S.L. Boyd, Douglass Truth, R.C. Trice, and Grace Kelly Rivera.
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Stan Getz
Stan Getz was one of the few five-star tenor saxophonists of the 20th century. He was born in Philly in 1927 and played in a variety of swing big bands as a teenager since he was too young to make the draft during World War II. His prime influence was Lester Young, though he grew to develop his own musical identity and style that ultimately earned him the definitive nickname “The Sound” for his...
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“A good quartet is like a good conversation among friends interacting to each...”
– Stan Getz
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September 2010
7 posts
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Willie "Bunk" Johnson
It’s hard to get a straight story about “Bunk” Johnson because he had few qualms against making up his own history, reputedly making jazz historians work for their living. He was probably born in the 1880’s, and he certainly played his trumpet in the early 1900’s. He played with Buddy Bolden, Frankie Dusen’s Eagle Band, and the Original Superior Orchestra,...
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Thank you for your requests
Thank you so much for sending in your requests. I will be painting them in the order that they were received. Yours truly, Leila
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I'm taking requests!
Is there a jazz musician you’d like to see painted? Jazz greats and personal favorites. Click the “Ask me anything” button on my site and send me your request. Yours truly, Leila
humalonganddance-deactivated201 asked: I was sitting here listening to Cannonball Adderley play Autumn Leaves from his Somethin' Else LP when I stumbled across your tumblr, my brand new fave. No way is it just the jazz element, your artwork is great!! Do you sell prints of your work? I look forward to your posts...
PS... Love the purple, best color ever... :)
PS... Love the purple, best color ever... :)
August 2010
15 posts
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Thelonious Monk
As a jazz pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk played a pivotal role in the evolution of jazz music in the 20th century. He was born in 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and was raised in New York City. His middle name, Sphere, makes one wonder what his parents were like and why they chose it. In any case, they started him on the piano when he was little and by age thirteen, he was winning...
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“Everyone is influenced by everyone but you bring it down home the way you feel...”
– Thelonious Monk
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Ray Charles
Ray Charles is a beacon of hope, for in the course of his life, he demonstrated that it is possible to realize one’s dreams and live life to its fullest no matter what adversity. When Ray lost his sight at the age of seven, he did not give up hope. Instead, he mustered the courage to find his way and fulfill his destiny - to become one of the greatest musicians of all time. He learned to...
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'Sizzling Jazz Art' show on tap at Smith Vineyard →
If you are in northern California, and looking for something exciting to do this weekend, consider taking a trip to Grass Valley for some wine tasting and a jazz art exhibit by artists E.J. Gold and Grace Kelly Rivera.
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Graphic Designer: Reid Miles
thejazzmessage:
hotdogmonkey:
Reid Miles worked for jazz label Blue Note Records in the 1950’s and 60’s. During his time there he designed over 500 album covers. His style of design featured a balance of creative typography mixed with moody photography and a simple color pallet.
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Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was born in 1910 in Belgium into a gypsy culture deprived of amenities but rich in music and things handmade. He learned to play the violin, the banjo and the guitar on twilit evenings around the fire in a camp of caravans. In 1928, his own caravan burned and he tragically injured his two small fingers on his left hand in the fire, forever changing his capacity to play in the...
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WatchQuintette du Hot Club de France
July 2010
30 posts
quornmaze-deactivated20110801 asked: You are a great artist! These "ravings" with paintings are a great idea. Will you do one of Monk???
Peace
Peace
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Alice Coltrane
The melodies of Alice Coltrane are deeply influenced by her love for Eastern spirituality. As a child, she studied classical music and was turned on to jazz as a young woman. Although she was wedded to John Coltrane, her music has a life and breath of its own and often finds a unique resonance within the heart of its listener. She plays an array of beautiful instruments including jazz and...
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WatchAlice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda
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Jazz Artist/Musician E.J. Gold LIVE on justintv... →
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“My goal is to live the truly religious life, and express it in my music. If you...”
– John Coltrane
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John Coltrane
John Coltrane was born in 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina, and was introduced to the E-flat horn and clarinet at an early age by his father. After years of musical training at Granoff Studios and the Ornstein School of Music in Philadelphia, he discovered the tenor saxophone when he played with the Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson Band. With this magic instrument in hand, he shimmied on into...