My visit to Mandeville’s Dew Drop Hall back in 2010
was more than magical.
It was the inspiration for two of my jazz portraits,
Barry and Emile Martin.
More than that, it was my first opportunity to present to Barry the fine art Giclée prints of a portrait I had painted of him back at The 100 Club in London, and of his son Emile on drums at “Jazz in the Barn” in Throwley, Kent, with his “Fallen Heroes”. Barry’s reaction? I will never forget it. He held up both portraits for the audience to see and declared “Peter has just given me these two remarkable portraits of myself and my son, Emile. Take a close look at them and you’ll see Emile is already going grey!”
Later Barry wrote a letter to me urging me “to keep doing what you are doing for jazz”. I’m still striving to, Barry.
I penned two poems to accompany the Giclée Prints of the portraits:
For Barry
Barry Martyn at the 100 Club
Hail to a Legend of Jazz
And showman supreme
Whose flare and pizzaz
Revived the New Orleans Dream.
This was during Barry’s very last visit to London and appearance at The 100 Club. I will never forget his departing words to his UK fans … that despite his New Orleans’ drawl he was a Londoner:
“In fact I was conceived under that grand piano!”
For Emile
Emile on Drums
Good time Jazz in deepest Kent
With New Orleans beat to turn up the heat.
Emile on drums, inspired, intense,
A Fallen Hero with the world at his feet.
Emile has since urged me to “keep doing what you are doing”.
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
(Photos & Prints © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
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