Cleaning and Doodling in the studio with French drummer Manu Katche

1 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

Coming back from a weekend of selling our art in Wilmington, I was faced with a studio that had not be stratightened up/cleaned in .... months. Ughhhhhhh

It is far better shape now. Two days in a row I listened to Manu Katche's Neighbourhood. Splitting the time between jazz doodling and cleaning was a fine idea. A new habit?

And then when I research this drummer, I realize I was listening to him in the 80's and 90's when he played on LP's by Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, Loreena McKennitt...

As I cleaned up, I separated paper of designs I wanted to keep, and paper to be recycled. It reminded me of our recent business meeting when we planned out a week in our studios. Maybe more of my favored designs will be revisited if we continue these meetings. We will see. A special meeting to get through projects could lead to a bit more focus from me.

Beginnings: Here is the opening track to Neighbourhood, it pulled me in and I am a fan.

I decided to capture the center of these doodles, where they began.

2 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

3 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

4 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

Ignoring the dream; jazz doodling times 3: Bobby Broom, Clifford Brown, Melissa Aldana

Jazz: Bobby Broom Song and Dance. Jazz Doodle: Wayne Stratz

Saturday: I had a thought that this summer was a prime time to do some random card giving at work.

Saturday night: I had a dream in which my supervisor at work chastised me for handing out cards to unsuspecting souls.

I started drawing cards since the dream made no sense.

Check out the jazz artists:  Bobby Broom, Clifford Brown, Melissa Aldana

Jazz: Clifford Brown Complete Blue Note. Jazz Doodle: Wayne Stratz

Jazz: Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio. Jazz Doodle: Wayne Stratz

A jazz doodle in pinks and grays: Anat Cohen, Claroscuro

a jazz doodle in pink, red and grays, created by Wayne Stratz while listening to Anat Cohen

The other night Anat Cohen's Claroscuro caught my eye while browsing through our jazz CD's, and off to the studio I went. As I listened, I thought it would make for some fine commuting music, and it did well today even when stopped by both a northbound and southbound train at the corner of Main and Broad in Lansdale. Truly a test of the quality of a good music commute. The first mile can be a doozy.

Drawing 50 cards or so while on retreat is a pace I can not keep up while at home/work, but hey, can I not send out a card from time to time. So I carried the CD back inside the house and this evening I took it back into the studio.

But who to draw a card for? So many possibilities. I was glancing through my contacts to get a name and address when I thought of a co-worker. She recently lost a cherished pet and she also recently graciously helped me out at work. 

Name chosen. Jazz playing. I needed color. Strangely pinks and grays gravitated to my hand when I reached into the bag of mixed prismacolors. Random choices lead you down paths. I started listening at track 9 and the beautiful closing tune, The Wedding composed by South African jazz master, Abdullah Ibrahim, was playing as I finished. Enjoy.

May this be at least a weekly activity.

Doodling in the round: time lapse creation of a card

 

I got an itching to start handing out random cards at work, so I went into the studio last night to draw a card. While at it, why not try the time lapse option on my iPad camera. Beware ~> I spin the card quite a bit.

 

 

 

Jazz doodling with glass ~> inspired by Melissa Aldana

At the 2014 Rochester jazz fest we wanted to see Melissa Aldana, but the line was excessively long. So we moved on. Eventually we ordered her CD. it played as I chose glass, grinded glass, and then soldered it together with no set pattern.

Check out all my glass jazz doodles

 

 

Jazz Catchers: four glass doodles for Marian McPartland

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

Jazz doodling has become a fun way to use up the smaller scraps of glass I save in my studio. See more of my jazz catchers here and explore the music of Marian McPartland here.

I created these at least a year ago. Ms McPartland was still alive. I also created them to exhibit at a local bakery, which sadly closed. The owner eventually brought them over to our house. I finally got photos and posted them on etsy. So in tribute to the amazing jazz and food which brought them to life. Here they are:

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

 

The A to Z challenge: moving on and returning to N

The other night I took the 26 cards and moved on

1. I got the 26 randomly chosen names from my work phone extension list and sent out a rambling email to those I were going to gift the cards to the next day. The hope was to explain the project.
2. I realized I had placed "N" by two names, but had only drawn one card. So make that 27 names.
3. I placed the cards into the mailboxes at work.
4. I answered questions by those puzzled by the rambling email.
5. Realized one person chosen was a student teacher who is no longer at the school.
6. Told the second "N" that I had messed up.

If you have followed this, you may remember I had been shocked to find that I had no jazz when I got to the letter, N. So last night I once again listened to the Lewis Nash CD I bought for the A to Z challenge. And here is the doodle:

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: Z is for Miguel Zenon

Miguel Zenón was new to us when we entered the Episcopal church a few Rochester Jazz Festivals ago. Sad to say it took getting to Z in this A to Z challenge to buy some of his music. 26 letters. Most with many choices, but a few got some new jazz into my life.

 

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: W is for Andrea Wolper and Y & Xis for Renee Yoxon

http://andreawolper.com/ 

Andrea Wolper was chosen over a possible double W, and a Wayne at that, but Wayne Wallace did not wow me at my self-imposed jazz concert this past summer. Greens for this lovely emerging spring. 

The next jazz singer, besides delighting my spirit, has something in common with Andrea Wolper. I met them both on twitter. Renee Yoxon also has a y and an x in her last name, but I didn't cheat, in fact I drew two rainbow doodles while listening to her sing.

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: U is for Massimo Urbani & V is for Sara Vaughn

For the third time my collection failed to provide a CD, but I found an amazing sax player by the name Massimo Urbani to do some doodling. I chose 7 prismacolors from my reds. Here he is playing one of my favorites.

 

 

V didn't have many options, but more than U. I chose Sara Vaughn, I hope no one will be upset with that. As for the doodle, it is the first mandala in this atozchallenge

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: S is for Maria Schneider and T is for Clark Terry

Another attempt at catching up, and let me tell you I am seriously pondering skipping over X, but that's later.

Maria Schneider composes for her orchestra and it is all about jazz and such beauty. It makes me happy that her life has led to this music.

 

 

Clark Terry has been playing the trumpet for a long time, but I only have one of his CD's. It features Thelonius Monk. Get ready to go in orbit:

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: R is for Renee Rosnes

Once again a double letter name shows up, Renee Rosnes is a fine pianist and composer. I used her version of A little Help From My Friends, when I created a video of Margaret and her grouting buddy, The Grout Monster.

 

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: P is for Nicki Parrott, Q is for Alvin Queen

Well, I snapped out of my jazz doodling lull last night with both P and Q doodled but not posted. Who knew I would fall behind while on a four day weekend? P is for Nicki Parrott a bass playing jazz singer.

 

Then came Q and off to the searching I went and found jazz drummer Alvin Queen. I had to go with pink and green after my recent trip to Longwood Gardens which had a pink and green thing going on in their conservatory.

 

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: O is for Anita O'Day

Last night while doodling, I listened to a much different version of Anita O'Day singing Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered. But isn't that what I love about jazz. The ability of taking a tune in so many directions.

 

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: N is for Lewis Nash

Searched high and low through the main stash in the living room, the studio, my classroom, and then in iTunes. Found no N's. But how many of those CDs of other letters would have featured the drumming of Lewis Nash? Plenty. So it was time I owned a musical endeavor in which he led the band. The Quintet was amazing. As for Neon, Mosaic Woman is doing the atozchallenge as well but her theme, color. For N she did neon, so I played along.

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: M is for Marian McPartland

Billions of M to choose from, but went with Marian McPartland who introduced us to so many jazz artists from A t

 

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: L is for Julian Lage

A rare straight line doodle this evening. We heard Julian Lage one night at the Rochester Jazz Festival playing duets with Taylor Eigsti. It was wonderful. Here they are together...

 

 

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: K is for Jim Kuemmerle

One day while searching for a kickstarter project to support, we came across Jim Kuemmerle. His project was to speak the story of factory workers trapped in a fire. We were glad to support his successful project.

 

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: J is for Christine Jensen's Jazz Orchestra

 

Jazz Orchestras are a splendid doodling medium and when a highly favored trumpeter, Ingrid Jensen is being conducted by her amazing sister, Christine Jensen. Well, it was fun indeed

 

Doodling to jazz, an A To Z Challenge: I is for Abdullah Ibrahim

Went to the music of South Africa this evening and doodled in violets and purples to the jazz of Abdullah Ibrahim. Had a difficult time capturing to colors, so I muted them to capture the flow.