PORTRAIT IN SEVEN SHADES

jazz at lincoln center orchestra / composed by ted nash

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Portrait in Seven Shades
Portrait in Seven Shades tells a story about seven
painters: not through words, as in a museum
description, but through music.
Musicians and painters often experience the same
struggles, successes, and self-doubts when creating
and later sharing their creations. When artists
embrace their own truths, working on art can be an
opportunity to discover something new from within.
It may also allow us, the viewer, to get to know
something of ourselves. Art often reflects the
society and times in which we live.
Many parallels can be drawn between the two forms
of art. Like painters, musicians talk of colors, layers
and composition. Several expressions are used to
describe styles in both fields — impressionistic,
abstract, pop. And of course there is the blues.
Wynton Marsalis, artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln
Center, approached me one day while on tour in
Mexico and asked me to compose a long-form piece
to be performed at a future date by the Orchestra
(that premier took place in February 2007). Al-
though I was given the freedom to take the music in
whatever direction I wanted, the only requirement
was for it to have a theme. It didn’t take me long to
come up with a concept that would truly inspire me
to write an hour-long piece of music: each move-
ment would be dedicated to a different painter.
I decided to limit my choices to artists who lived I have been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center
within an approximate 100-year period, about the Orchestra for more than ten years and have gotten
age of jazz itself. The period spans the end of to know the individual members very well — their
impressionism through abstract expressionism of personalities, their strengths and styles — and have
the 1960s. Although it doesn’t correlate exactly with made orchestration and solo choices accordingly. I
the existence of jazz music (the beginning of the have also invited guests to perform: Nathalie Bonin
1900s to present), it is a similar time frame. During on violin, Bill Schimmel on accordion, and Wycliffe
these periods each art form went through many Gordon on tuba. Each musician brings his musical
important transformations. sensibilities, helping to realize the musical objec-
tives I have set out to accomplish. It should be
It was hard narrowing it down to only seven paint- noted here that this entire CD was recorded in one
ers. There are so many artists I have truly admired, six-hour session, a true testament to the ability of
whose works have had some kind of affect on me, this orchestra and the individuals that together
like Cezanne, Degas, Gauguin, Rauschenberg, make such an incomparable ensemble.
Diebenkorn, and de Kooning. But there were a
few choices that were obvious to me: Picasso, It has been a great journey. I am glad to share with
Van Gogh, and Monet. you a little of the creative process — the discovery,
thoughts, and choices — that led to the making of
I think of Picasso as sort of the Miles Davis of the this music.
art world. He was responsible for the development
of important movements like analytical and syn- —Ted Nash with Ivette Dumeng
thetic cubism, and his work became more daring November, 2009
and expressive as he got older. Miles, similarly,
helped give birth to movements like bebop and
modal, and his music also became more daring
with the development of fusion.
Ultimately the list would include Matisse, Chagall,
Dali, and Pollock. The difference in their styles
would help lead to a contrast between each of the
seven movements. I have also chosen recognizable
artists and their work because I believe it will
heighten a viewer’s perspective — I want the listener
to hear music that expresses images with which
they are already familiar. I believe this will lead to
a greater experience and hopefully, as a result of
hearing this music, one will see these paintings in
a new, fresh way.
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Monet / 6:42

I feel Monet embellished reality by diffusing it, us-

ing colors and textures to create fantasy. We feel
nature, water, air — things that are very basic. I used
Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond as a
main inspiration. When you stand up close to this
sprawling triptych you lose track of reality; instead
you see the strokes, gestures and textures.

Monet opens with a primitive drum pattern, like

the beginning of life itself. The trombones form a
base, with the woodwinds floating on top creat-
ing impressionistic sounds similar to Debussy and
Ravel. It expands like the rising sun with the high
trumpets, led with great expression by Ryan Kisor.
The two sopranos state the main theme. The har-
monic structure uses primarily major chords, creat- Claude Monet Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond, c. 1920
ing lightness and an uplifting mood. Victor Goines’ Oil on canvas, three panels. Each 6' 6 3⁄4" x 13' 11 1⁄4" (200 x 424.8 cm), overall 6' 6 3⁄4" x 41' 10 3⁄8" (200 x 1276 cm)
Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund © 2007 Artists Rights Society (ARS ), New York / ADAGP , Paris
soprano sax solo suggests exploration and play-
fulness. Ted Nash on alto flute plays with mystery
and poignancy over a vamp that leads to a dance
between clarinet and flute.

‘For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its
appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding
atmosphere brings it to life — the light and the air which vary
continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere
Solos
Victor Goines, soprano sax
which gives subjects their true value.’
Ted Nash, alto flute —Claude Monet

Movement inspired by: Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond; The Japanese Footbridge; Poplars at Giverny; Sunrise; Agapanthus

03
Dali / 6:17

Dali incorporated images and objects that are very

familiar to us, putting them together in an unfamil-
iar way, which can create discomfort or insecurity.
He combined violence, sexuality, and secrets living
in one’s sub-conscience. I think this is particularly
evident in Illuminated Pleasures, a lurid and sensa-
tional work.

The Persistence of Memory, probably his most

iconic work, where he portrays melting clocks in a
baron landscape, inspired me to develop an unusual
time signature, 13/8. Embracing the effect of this
painting I have found sounds and approaches to
harmony that on their own are familiar but the way
they are put together is unsettling.

Dali, which is basically a disguised blues, opens

up with an ostinato figure played by the bass and
saxophones, representing the continuum of time.
The persistent drum groove exposes a little of the
aggressive quality of these paintings. The melody,
played in thirds by trumpet and alto, exists in a
different tonal center from the bass, like a lost
creature searching. Vincent Gardner’s wails on the Salvador Dali The Persistence of Memory, 1931. Oil on canvas, 9 1⁄2" x 13" (24.1 x 33 cm)
trombone augment the anxiety. An improvised solo, Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Given anonymously © 2007 Salvador Dali,
Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS ), New York
created simultaneously by Marcus Printup on trum-
pet and Ted Nash shadowing on alto saxophone,
creates long melting lines. It climaxes in an almost
violent end. A flamenco-like clave supporting Ali ‘Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys
Jackson’s drum solo, emphasized by the orchestra’s
hand clapping, references Dali’s Spanish heritage.
only what it considers to be shackles
limiting our vision.’
—Salvador Dali

Solos Movement inspired by: The Persistence of Memory; The Little Theater; Illumined Pleasures
Marcus Printup, trumpet
Ted Nash, alto sax
Ali Jackson, drums

04
Matisse / 7:18

What I love about Matisse is the childlike quality

and playfulness apparent in his paintings. He was
a master of color. There is quirkiness in his works,
and instead of becoming more and more sophis-
ticated he became more and more simple, as with
the cutouts he did later in his life. I think Matisse
is somebody who didn’t conform, very much like
pianist Thelonious Monk. In fact, Monk’s rhythmic
quirkiness was an influence when I approached this
movement.

Matisse opens with Dan Nimmer dancing on the

piano, like the five women in the painting La Danse.
For this arrangement I use the bass and baritone
sax on an angular unison theme, with humorous
responses from the bass clarinet, soprano sax, and
plunger-muted trumpets, like cutout pieces from
Henri Matisse Dance (I) Paris, Hôtel Biron, early 1909. Oil on canvas, 8' 6 1⁄2" x 12' 9 1⁄2" (259.7 x 390.1 cm)
The Knife Thrower. Joe Temperley, the senior mem- Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller in honor of Alfred H. Barr, Jr.
ber of the band brings sophistication combined © 2007 Succession H. Matisse, Paris / Artists Rights Society (ARS ), New York

with a childlike quality to his baritone solo. Carlos

Henriquez on bass deals with bouncing rhythms,
and intervallic jumps. The bass solo is followed by
a sax soli (the saxophones playing together in five-
part harmony) expressing very much the reaction I
have when I see Matisse’s paintings: joy. ‘I do not literally paint that table,
but the emotion it produces upon me.’
Solos —Henri Matisse
Dan Nimmer, piano
Joe Temperley, baritone sax
Carlos Henriquez, bass

Movement inspired by: La Danse; Goldfish and Sculpture; The Knife Thrower;
Maquette for Nuit de Noël; Interior with a Violin Case

05
Picasso / 8:39

Picasso is one of the most recognized geniuses in

the art world and was a well-known public figure.
Picasso loved women and celebrated them in his
work. This appreciation for women is apparent in
many of his works, and in particular with Girl Before
A Mirror where he expresses many sides of his
mistress Marie Therese Walter, a woman he painted
multiple times in the 1930s. In Les Demoiselles
d’Avignon he certainly depicts women freely and in
a less “romantic” light. With this painting Picasso
overturned established conventions, and all that
followed grew out of it: it is the precursor to his
cubist work.

I approached Picasso differently from other move-

ments. In the first section I deal with the romantic
and expressive side of the man. The second section
explodes out of this romantic setting and moves
us to the bullfight. The main body embraces his
paintings not only on how they affect me emotion-
ally, but also intellectually, focusing on his cubist
style. Using the cubist theme, I explored the idea
of fourths (four sides to a cube) throughout the
arrangement: the trombone chords are stacked in
fourths and much of the material is based on the
interval of the fourth. The toreadors are Vincent
Gardner and Wynton Marsalis, who solo on the
chord structure comprised of four different tonali-
Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907. Oil on canvas, 8' x 7' 8" (243.9 x 233.7 cm)
ties, always coming back to E (the lowest note on Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest
the guitar and a common tonal center found in © 2007 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS ), New York

flamenco music).

As the piece develops I incorporate mirror images ‘Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.’
of the thematic material found earlier in the piece.
—Pablo Picasso
It reaches a climax by moving away from the intel- Movement inspired by: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon; Three Musicians;
lectual and towards something more instinctive as Violin and Grape; Repose; Girl before a Mirror; Ma Jolie
Solos
it builds to a big E Phrygian chord, bringing us back Vincent Gardner, trombone
to Picasso’s home. Wynton Marsalis, trumpet

06
Van Gogh / 6:53

The tragedy of unrequited love, the driving need

to be accepted as a serious artist, the longing for
success that never quite came (he sold only one
painting during his lifetime) — most people are just
as familiar with the story of Van Gogh’s life as they When I paint the sky
are with his art. Van Gogh’s paintings express his I wonder why
You don’t share my view
passion, full of thick strokes and rich colors. His Just like you
many self-portraits show him to be sad or dispir- I can see with my heart
ited. Aware of his struggles, we are drawn into his And I start
Mixing and layering ev’rything
paintings. The reality he captures is one we want to Blue for you
experience. Textures of love
Cobalt in hue

In Van Gogh I use words to tell his story (my first But it’s true
foray into writing lyrics). Out of all the movements They keep me inside
this comes closest to being in a style of Ameri- And force me to hide
All the love that I feel
can song form, a very safe and familiar form, and Like a wilting flower
through this familiarity it’s almost as if I can create Passion without power
a safe place and nurturing environment for Vincent. My desire pales
Like a pastel shade
There are a lot of references in Van Gogh to his I fade
paintings, and in particular The Starry Night, per-
haps his most famous work. In The Starry Night we When I paint the sky
I wonder why Vincent van Gogh The Starry Night, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1⁄4" (73.7 x 92.1 cm)
see the view from his sanitarium — he painted it by You don’t see my love Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest.
memory the next morning. When I paint, I paint for you Photograph © 2007 The Museum of Modern Art, New York

I chose to feature Wynton Marsalis on the melody

and solo. I knew he would express with his trumpet
the same broad strokes and textures Van Gogh
found in his paintings. Our Vincent (Gardner) tells
the story as I pictured Van Gogh talking to his good ‘I put my heart and my soul into my work,
friend Paul Gauguin.
and have lost my mind in the process.’
—Vincent Van Gogh

Solos
Wynton Marsalis, trumpet
Movement inspired by: The Starry Night; The Olive Trees; Irises; Self-Portrait (1889) Vincent Gardner, vocals

07
Chagall / 8:08

Marc Chagall was known to have two basic reputa-

tions: as a pioneer of modernism, and as a major
Jewish artist. He grew up in a Jewish ghetto in Rus-
sia. He was also considered to be a master of color.
“When Matisse dies,” Pablo Picasso remarked in the
1950s, “Chagall will be the only painter left who un-
derstands what color really is.” Chagall’s paintings
are very musical, and there is a lot of fantasy — he
has violinists floating in the air and animals dancing.
His works deal with family and social gatherings,
Solos
and you get a strong sense of his theatrical nature Bill Schimmel, accordion
(he was also a costume and set designer). Nathalie Bonin, violin

For Chagall I wanted to capture this sense of neigh-

borhood, of people gathering in the streets. To help
achieve this sound I invited members of my group
Odeon to join the big band: Bill Schimmel on accor-
dion, Nathalie Bonin on violin, and Wycliffe Gordon
on tuba.

Chagall begins with accordion on a short cadenza.

The accordion is an instrument found in many
Eastern-European cultures, and it is the perfect Marc Chagall I and the Village [Moi et le village], 1911. Oil on canvas, 6' 3 5⁄8" x 59 5⁄8" (192.1 x 151.4 cm)
sound to bring us to the streets. The theme is Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund
© 2006 Artists Rights Society (ARS ), New York / ADAGP , Paris
played by the violin and clarinet suggesting a place
somewhere between France and Russia, a place we
may not have visited in the past, but where we feel
at home. There is a short interlude where we see
animals crossing the street. We then hear a beauti-
ful cadenza by Nathalie on violin, and later an ex- ‘I adore the theater and I am a painter. I think
tended solo. Chagall loved the violin so much that the two are made for a marriage of love. I will
it often appeared as a subject in his paintings, like a
muse. The movement culminates with a klezmer-
give all my soul to prove this once more.’
style romp that builds to an exciting climax. —Marc Chagall

Movement inspired by: I and the Village; Calvary; Zemphira; A Bandura Player; A Bear and Zemphira

08
Pollock / 10:28

American painter Jackson Pollock came of age at

a time when jazz was very popular. The big bands
were swinging on the radio and he was drawn to
it. Pollock was quite reclusive, but I believe music
gave him a sense of belonging, a connection to
society. Pollock moved away from figurative art
and became known as an abstract expression-
ist. When once asked, “What is modern art?” he
answered: “Modern art to me is nothing more than
the expression of contemporary aims of the age
that we’re living in.”

The time of his notoriety came just before the

free jazz movement, and I wonder if the abstract
form of jazz that began in the late fifties wasn’t
influenced in some way by the expressionist art
movement that began earlier that decade. In fact,
Pollock’s White Light is featured on the inside of Jackson Pollock One: Number 31, 1950, 1950
Oil and enamel on unprimed canvas, 8' 10" x 17' 5 5⁄8" (269.5 x 530.8 cm)
Ornette Coleman’s innovative record, Free Jazz: A
Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection Fund (by exchange)
Collective Improvisation. © 2007 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS ), New York

With Pollock I wanted to create a musical canvas

full of paint splatters: musical phrases being
loosely tossed about. I sat at the piano and almost
threw my hands on the keys and took what came
out and captured these phrases. Pianist Dan Nim-
mer leads the rhythm section in a free interpreta-
tion of the theme, which is comprised of these ab-
stract note groupings. The band then reinterprets
these phrases as one long swinging line.
Solos
Sherman Irby, alto sax
Chris Crenshaw and Elliot Mason, trombones
Bill Schimmel, accordion
Ryan Kisor, trumpet
The soloists, Sherman Irby on alto saxophone, Chris
Crenshaw and Elliot Mason on trombones, and
Bill Schimmel on accordion, continue the abstract
expressionist nature in their improvisations. For the
shout chorus I gave the band specific rhythms to Movement inspired by: One: Number 31; Full Fathom Five;
play, but allowed them to choose their own notes. Free Form; White Light
This creates a sound that is both random and orga-
nized. All of this builds to a climax, which delivers
us into a very cool minor blues featuring Ryan Kisor
on trumpet. This section captures the kind of jazz
I think Pollock loved, but also reflects the music of
the decade during which he did most of his well-
known work — the fifties.
‘Painting is self-discovery.
Every good artist paints what he is.’
—Jackson Pollock

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Portrait in Seven Shades
Co-producers
Ted Nash
Saundra Palmer-Grassi
Frank Kimbrough
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra with Wynton
Marsalis, Music Director
Reeds
Sherman Irby alto sax,
soprano sax, flute, clarinet
Ted Nash alto sax, flute, alto
flute, clarinet
Victor Goines tenor sax,
soprano sax, clarinet,
bass clarinet
Walter Blanding tenor sax,
soprano sax, clarinet
Joe Temperley baritone sax,
bass clarinet
Trumpets
Ryan Kisor lead
Sean Jones
Marcus Printup
Wynton Marsalis
Trombones
Vincent Gardner lead,
vocals on Van Gogh
Chris Crenshaw
Elliot Mason
Rhythm Section
Dan Nimmer piano
Carlos Henriquez bass
Ali Jackson drums
Special Guests
Bill Schimmel accordion
Nathalie Bonin violin
Wycliffe Gordon tuba
All images of artworks are
used with kind permission
from The Museum of
Modern Art.
Very special thanks to:
Brian Beasley, Ivette Dumeng,
Cat Henry, Wynton Marsalis,
and The Museum of Modern
Art, in particular Margaret
Doyle, Kim Mitchell, Melanie
Monios, and Ann Temkin
Photography
Frank Stewart
Production Coordinator
Eric Wright
Music Copyists
Jonathan Kelly
Rigdzin Collins
Music Supervisor
Kay Niewood
Release Supervisor
Ken Druker
Designers
Luis Bravo, Gabe Benzur,
and Casey Walter for
Jazz at Lincoln Center
For Jazz at Lincoln Center
Adrian Ellis
Executive Director
Laura Johnson
Executive Producer
Portrait in Seven Shades was
commissioned by
Jazz at Lincoln Center. It
premiered on February22,
2007 and recorded on
September 6, 2007 at
Frederick P. Rose Hall, the
home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Jazz at Lincoln Center
gratefully acknowledges the
following individuals for their
generous support of
Portrait in Seven Shades:
Agnes Varis
for the original commission
Jody and John Arnhold
for the original recording
To order the print music of Portrait in Seven Shades, please visit: Jazz at Lincoln Center
tednash.com/portrait-music JALC 001
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