Sam Nhlengethwa "Kind of Blue", Lithographs

Artists statement:
INSPIRED BY "KIND OF BLUE"

I'm still celebrating 5 glorious decades of good quality jazz as portrayed in Kind of Blue!
I was brought up by my maternal grandmother, Sophia Mokoena, from when I was only 9 months old. I lived full-time with her in Ratanda, a township in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg. During school holidays, I used to visit my parents and siblings in Kwa-Thema, Springs. Occasionally, I would visit my eldest brother, Ranky, who was then living in Katlehong, Germiston with my mother's uncle. What drew me to Ranky was that he was a strong jazz fanatic and a player too.

In 1970 when I was only 15 years old, my 2nd eldest brother, Mxolisi was getting married. He and his best men were nervously listening to some jazz vinyls. It got so tense that they even forgot to turn the other side of the vinyl. I immediately took over and I remember the vinyl on the turntable was "Time Out" by Dave Brubeck. It was hit in the townships because of the track "Take 5".

I continued playing for my brother and his best men until I landed my hands on the album "Kind of Blue" that was made on 2nd March and 22nd April 1959.What was striking was that unlike with the other vinyls where we picked tracks, Kind of Blue was played repeatedly from the 1st track, "So What?" to its last track "Flamenco Sketches". I can proudly say since that day, I was introduced to the "jazz bible".

In my studio downtown Johannesburg, a week never passes without me listening to "Kind of Blue". I actually have three copies, two CDs - one for my car, the other for my studio and a vinyl for my collection.

I fully agree with the author, Ashley Khan when he says, " jazz musos call it the bible and critics call it the one jazz album every fan must own". Who can argue with that - a jazz classic album of its own?

Jimmy Cobb, as far as I know, the only living drummer of Miles Davis's Kind of Blue sextet said of its members, they were respected leaders from their individual jazz groups who were brought together for the first time during the recording of Kind of Blue. It is this high level of expertise and talent that made the very first recording of Kind of Blue " beautiful and smooth sounding...no effort.... no tension.... just relaxed". "The band always sounded good. How could it sound bad?" Cobb, asked.

In Ashley Kahn's book "Kind of Blue - The making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece", Bill Evans, one of the pianists, is quoted as saying when they did the album, they had no idea it would become so important. As a painter, I drew a parallel to that - when I do a new painting I never know how important it will be!Quincy Jones says he "plays Kind of Blue everyday. It sounds like it was made yesterday. It is my orange juice. " To that I can I can add it is my glass of water. Indeed, it sounds like it was made yesterday.

Miles Davis and his entire sextet, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, John Coltrane, Julian Cannonball Adderly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb, left a legacy that is still inspiring the jazz musicians and jazz lovers.Columbia Records and its entire staff should be proud of this classic album.
Sam Nhlengethwa 2010

Prints by other South African artists ( A o L by surname)

Prints by other South African artists ( M to X by surname)

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Sam Nhlengethwa, Jazz Prints

Kind of Blue, lithographs