This digital painting was created by artist Jeremy Sutton on a tour with the Birdland All-Stars in early 2018. He created this piece on the side of the stage as the musicians played. It is a tremendously reflective depiction of jazz as a genre and the liveliness inherent to it.

The most direct way Sutton reflects the music through his art is the process through which he creates it. The physical motion of him dancing and responding to the live music behind him manifests itself in his brush strokes. The energy of the music is transmitted through him onto the canvas in the form of fluid yet jittery lines and shapes. Achieving perfect or even moderate realism would be impossible whilst dancing, so only the relative shapes are portrayed. This is fitting due to the improvisational nature of jazz. It is not a replication of anything. Every time a jazz song is played, countless variations are added.

Another way jazz is reflected through this art is through the use of color. The choices of color are so bright and variable that they form a stark contrast with the background and each other. However, they still remain within a harmonious scheme overall. Similarly, specific intervals of jazz chords, such as the seventh or ninth, are called “color tones”, and achieve audibly the same effect as the contrasting colors in this piece. They differentiate chords and harmonies from each other, adding interest and feel. Ultimately, however, all these color tones and chords fall within an all-encompassing harmonious chord progression and key(s).

Sutton does a tremendous job of transmitting the feel and energy of the genre of jazz through a visual medium. You can almost hear what he was hearing on that stage simply by viewing his work.