Louis Armstrong the visual artist.

[Hardbopjazz]

The side of Louis Armstrong many didn't know about was his obsession with the visual art form of collages. NPR, WNYC had a program about the resent book about Armstrong's art. Below is the link. As for Louis Armstrong, living close to the Louis Armstrong museum, I plan on making an appointment to view the art regarless how simple critics claim it to be.

Show

Besides Armstrong, how many other jazz artists were into other forms of artistic expression? I can think of Miles Davis who loved to paint along with Tony Bennett. Milt Hinton loved to take photos.

[blajay]

Roscoe Mitchell painted the Lester Bowie Numbers 1 & 2 album cover.

[Chuck Nessa]

Ever heard of Larry Rivers?

Roscoe did the cover of one AEC ECM release and Muhal has paintings on his covers for decades.

Braxton's compositions lead us beyond.....

[Stereojack]

Roscoe Mitchell painted the Lester Bowie Numbers 1 & 2 album cover.

Pee Ree Russell and George Wettling were also painters.

[AllenLowe]

there are actually Pee Wee Russell paintings hanging at the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies -

Tony Bennett also paints -

and I actually heard Larry Rivers play (saxophone) years ago -

and Kenny G paints by number (or maybe he PLAYS by number) -

Edited March 14, 2009 by AllenLowe

[marcello]

I almost bought the Armstrong book last week.

Tommy Smith could had had a career as a painter. He painted many of his cd covers:

[jlhoots]

Not jazz per se, but Joni Mitchell.

Captain Beefheart too.

[Rooster_Ties]

I can think of Miles Davis who loved to paint.

Hmmm, I thought he just designed neckties...

[JSngry]

That ol' Bill Dixon, ain't he the painterman too?

[clifford_thornton]

Oh yes, I have some of Bill's visual art - really nice litho, in fact. Rarely exhibited but man, some of those paintings are GOOD.

Marzette Watts was a painter, and yeah, I know Larry Rivers' work.

Rob Mazurek (to bring it more contemporary) is another painter, also does video art and installations. I'm sure I can think of some more.

[bgugg]

Daniel Humair, Ivo Perelman, Brotzmann, Han Bennink are painters too.

[AllenLowe]

CNN, this very week, actually did a piece on (bad) rock musicians who are also (bad) painters -

[BillF]

Dexter Gordon as actor: Round Midnight, etc.

Philly Joe Jones as comedian: Dracula routine.

Stan Levey as photographer.

Monk as dancer?

[AllenLowe]

by the way, Armstrong was also a great writer - as Chuck has already mentioned -

[Hardbopjazz]

by the way, Armstrong was also a great writer - as Chuck has already mentioned -

Yes, he wrote three autobiographies. The third one destroyed by his manager. The subject matter he felt Amrstrongls fans would be shock to find out he was an avid pot somker.

[jazzbo]

He wrote nearly constantly, typing countless letters in dressing rooms, creating other writings; he carried a typewriter and tape recorder with him almost all the time. This is recommended:

[Niko]

once you've seen gabor szabo's paintings on ebay nothing on his albums can shock you anymore (the cover of spellbinder is easily one of the best ones...)

edit: thinking a little, gabor szabo must be a pretty common name in hungary so presumably this guy

http://search.stores.ebay.de/Empireposter_...20GaborQQsofpZ0

is someone else... still: gabor szabo was a painter, too and painted among others the cover of spellbinder

Edited March 14, 2009 by Niko

[Brownian Motion]

Roscoe Mitchell painted the Lester Bowie Numbers 1 & 2 album cover.

Pee Ree Russell and George Wettling were also painters.

Wettling took lessons from Stuart Davis; Davis received drum lessons in return.