[Dixielandjazz] One man's view of the Critics

[Steve barbone]

Tom Bostelle, resident of Chester County PA., USA, a friend and mentor on
the philosophy of life passed away last week. He was 83.

At 16 he befriended West Chester artist Horace Pippin (primatives like
Grandma Moses). That year he painted Pippin's portrait which today hangs,
near Pippin's work, in the National Gallery in Washington DC.

His favorite question? "What do you contribute to making life better?"

He was a very "secure" person and frequently said of his art: "Either you
liked it or you didn't. It didn't matter because he wasn't necessarily doing
it for you."

The piece de resistance was the sign over his studio door which said:

All ye who enter here
Reserve your praise
Or your condemnation
I don't give a damn
For either
I know what I'm doing.

He taught a lot of visual artists, and jazz musicians in the Philadelphia
area, that very valuable lesson.

RIP Tom Bostelle.  

Cheers,
Steve Barbone