In 2011 I was asked to paint jazz portraits of musicians from local bands booked for Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle for display during the festival. These included:
Trombone and Drums
Trad at The George, Vocalion style,
Sam on ‘bone, Mark on drums,
Playing with guile,
Good reason for fans to linger a while.
The Vocalion Band, led by Sam Weller, hails from Medway, Kent, and is a favourite with trad jazz fans. In this acrylic jazz portrait Sam is playing alongside drummer Mark Alexander at The George in Shalmsford Street, Chartham.
‘Art & Verse’ Copyright © 2011 Peter M Butler. All rights reserved
A Very Mean Sax
Beneath the rim of his familiar cap
Ivan’s won fame
For a very mean sax.
Gandon by name,
A gentleman by nature,
His grit on vocals
Puts the best to shame.
One of jazz’s grand characters, Ivan Gandon plays sax and clarinet with the Medway, Kent, based Vocalion Band led by Sam Weller. This is one of my favourite jazz paintings.
‘Art & Verse’ Copyright © 2011 Peter M Butler. All rights reserved
Jazz at The George
Gerry hot wired,
Sousaphone fully fired,
For Jazz at The George
Intense, inspired.
Gerry Birch hails from East Kent where he repairs brass instruments and leads his own band, The Stour Valley Jazzmen. A friendly setting for jazz paintings, The George in Shalmsford Street, Chartham, Kent, is a regular venue for his trad jazz club.
Copyright © 2011 Peter M Butler. All rights reserved
Laurie Palmer, drummer with Burt Butler’s Jazz Pilgrims, commissioned this jazz portrait of him on drums during the festival.
Drums on the Prom
Bass Drum, Snare Drum,
Cymbals and Tom
Full regalia on the prom
Laurie Palmer takes Stage One.
The jazz drummer is usually obscured back stage behind the trumpets, trombones and saxophones, yet he sets the beat for the band. But playing with Burt Butler’s Jazz Pilgrims harbourside in Ramsgate, Kent, during the 2011 Seaside Shuffle Trad Jazz Festival, for his jazz portrait Laurie Palmer starred front stage, his drum kit on full display.
‘Art & Verse’ Copyright © 2011 Peter M Butler. All rights reserved.
Fine Art Giclée Prints of my portraits are available, with or without my descriptive poem. Simply email: [email protected] to place your order and help support jazz.
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