[Dixielandjazz] Re: Symbol For Jazz

[Stephen Barbone]

> "Burt Wilson" <futurecon at earthlink.net> wrote
>
> I have been submerging myself in the works of C. G. JUNG lately and it has
> caused me to think about a symbol for jazz--a logo, for all intents and
> purposes. The only thing I can think of right now which has been used as a
> logo for jazz (and by that I mean collective jazz; more to the point, hot
> jazz) is a cornet (as that is a horn of the vital time when jazz was king)
> to the word "Jazz" with a saxophone representing the "J."
>
> I was a good friend of the late artist and founder of the Taos Art School,
> Emil Bisttram, and Emil did a painting of jazz in the 1930's which showed a
> canvas full of discordand broken lines. He obviously represented jazz as
> musical chaos. I think that was the mode of the times when jazz was
> considered the devil's music.
>
> But today, I wonder what symbol typifies jazz. Have any ideas?

Dear Burt:

Interesting question as jazz is different things to different people. I vote
for a symbol that includes a representation of "musical freedom" and would
leave the actual design up to the artists.

First blush is a Jackson Pollack, or Paul Klee or Pablo Picasso type painting
somehow incorporating an artistic reference to trumpet and Louis Armstrong.
But then, those are all favorite artists of mine.

Picasso's 3 musicians dressed in hip attire wouldn't be bad either. Or we
could enlarge the number to 6.

Cheers,
Steve