Who is pictured on the center label of the early Black Saint LPs?

[Dmitry]

Is this a musician, or at least a real person, whose identity is known?

[jk666]

I always assumed it was Billy Harper here and on the other logo...but I can't find anything to confirm it.

 

[Dmitry]

Since the first Black Saint title was Billy Harper's, I guessed the same, but it doesn't look like him.

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/billy-harper-portrait-holding-tenor-saxophone-at-his-apartment-new-picture-id1364245277

 

[BillF]

. . . and this? Possibly based on Jimmy Yancey?

 

[clifford_thornton]

15 hours ago, Dmitry said:

Is this a musician, or at least a real person, whose identity is known?

Always looked a little like Bluiett to me although the hair is a little fuller. The second label design has a David Murray-like appearance.

[robertoart]

19 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

Always looked a little like Bluiett to me although the hair is a little fuller. The second label design has a David Murray-like appearance.

I always associated the second one with David Murray. Whether it was real or implied. My first Black Saint albums back in the day were David Murray albums, so it fits for me. What a great record label Black Saint and Soul Note were back then. 

[Joe]

On 2/21/2022 at 8:57 AM, jk666 said:

I always assumed it was Billy Harper here and on the other logo...but I can't find anything to confirm it.

 

Same here.

One thing's for sure: we can rule out Jerry West.

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Joe

[Kevin Bresnahan]

7 minutes ago, Joe said:

Same here.

On thing's for sure: we can rule out Jerry West.

But Billy didn't have much of a beard in 1975 and this logo has a variant with more detail:

Billy in 1975:

[JSngry]

It's an artist's rendering, both of them, I think.

[Joe]

3 hours ago, bresna said:

But Billy didn't have much of a beard in 1975 and this logo has a variant with more detail:

 

 

Wait... it's not a silhouette? It's just a piece of painted plywood!?!?

In all seriousness, the angle at which this figure is holding their horn... vaguely Ayler-esque?

Edited February 22, 2022 by Joe

[danasgoodstuff]

I always thought that profile image was meant to be Albert Ayler.

Took me forever to see the face in the first image.

[JSngry]

Wokeboy here wonders why they have to be anybody? Like, do black people only exist in the frame of literality?

[danasgoodstuff]

I thought the complaint was why do they always have to be symbols?

[JSngry]

There are many complaints 

Neithers cancels the others.

But in fairness to fairness, a symbol is only as good as the uses to which it's put.

And by whose authority.

Wokeboy going to bed now.

Back to bed, that is. 

Wokeboy tired 

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

 

[danasgoodstuff]

14 hours ago, JSngry said:

There are many complaints 

Neithers cancels the others.

But in fairness to fairness, a symbol is only as good as the uses to which it's put.

And by whose authority.

Wokeboy going to bed now.

Back to bed, that is. 

Wokeboy tired 

Fair enough.

[romualdo]

On 2/22/2022 at 4:17 AM, bresna said:

But Billy didn't have much of a beard in 1975 and this logo has a variant with more detail:

Billy in 1975:

Albert Ayler? the jacket/coat he's wearing hints at Albert (from some of the pics have seen) plus Black Saint may indeed be a reference to Albert

[Holy Ghost]

Kind of strikes me looking like Bennie Maupin, though I don't think he ever recorded for the label.  In support of that defense, nor did Ayler. 

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, I suppose it could be any number of players that it references. 

Black Saint... well, Mingus' record by that title came out before almost anyone in the jazz world knew who Albert Ayler was!