VISUAL DESIGN
"Pops"
Like everything else, it all starts with Louis Armstrong.
"Bird Lives"
Charlie Parker completely changed improvisation, the alto sax, and how musicians identify themselves within the music and perform.
"Diz"
Dizzy Gillespie was instrumental in the evolution to bebop and brought a distinct intellectualism to jazz. His strides in jazz theory and exploring the range and capabilities of the trumpet are legendary.
"Blue Trombone"
J.J. Johnson did what most once thought impossible--bringing the trombone into the bebop era. His agility, sound, rhythm and jazz vocabulary made the trombone a legitimate bebop partner to the trumpet and sax, changing the sound of modern jazz.
"Brown in Red"
Clifford Brown proved to the world that kindness, sobriety and generosity had plenty of room in the world of jazz at a time when musicians were dealing with a drug underworld and struggling with the legacy and death of Charlie Parker. Musically, he progressed the advances of Bird and Diz with a big, warm sound and impeccable sound and time, all before the age of 26.
"Angelic Warrior"
Tia Fuller, a fellow CU Jazz alum and native of Denver, has explored the world of soul, R&B and hip hop without ever losing her roots in jazz.
"Acknowledgement"
I wanted to capture John Coltrane's enlightenment he found late in his career. His dedication to music, religion and practice completely changed the way jazz can sound and feel.
"Now he sings, Now He Sobs"
I wanted to memorialize one of the greatest pianists and fusion composers, Chick Corea, upon his death in 2021. He leaves behind a legacy of revolutionizing both acoustic piano trios and electric jazz fusion.
"Genesis"
ELVIN! I wanted to illustrate my favorite photo of jazz legend Elvin Jones while capturing the energy of my favorite live performance of his (John Coltrane Belgium 1965; by the end of which he and the band are LITERALLY STEAMING on stage!) Along with inspiration from his ‘Genesis’ album cover.
"Green Street"
Grant Green lives at the intersection of jazz and funk. His work in straight-ahead hardbop could stand alone as testament to his influence, but his Soul/Funk/Jazz fusion period brought jazz back to the dance floor and opened instrumental music up to a new generation.
"Mood Indigo"
In my opinion, Duke Ellington is far and away the greatest American composer of all time, and joined only by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven on the "Mt. Rushmore" of history's greatest. His output was unmatched and the leadership of keeping a consistent working band utilized as an instrument is one of a kind.