Body and Soul 3 panels 30 inches by 104 inches.  No, this is not Vivaldi, or the rare Country music painting that were both next on a made up list.  The timing was not right for those works.  The Vivaldi music flow was the first choice, but it was feared that it would require 3 panels 36 inches by 18 feet to fit it all in.  As usual, there was no time spent preparing for the next work, so none of the needed canvases had been prep, or put together. Then, just like that Heart was done. Luckily, remembering that there where these three other canvases all ready prepped, and needing only to be bolted together, the gears shifted to look for other music.

Since this canvas is larger, the Country music choice was  ruled out, and of course, since this was not a large enough canvas, the Vivaldi was out. So, began the much dreaded ritual of flipping through music books. But the first one grabbed happened to be a new music book just purchased of Jazz Standards. Just like that the song Body and Soul stood out, and made me think.

A few weeks back I saw the video of Tony Bennett singing Body and Soul with Amy Winehouse. But, it did not hit home how great of voice she had until listening to the entire Duets II album by Tony Bennett.  Besides, the fine tracks with Aretha Franklin, and a cute and playful, Lady Gaga (especially when viewing the video),  Amy Winehouse’s voice stood apart from every other track.

Here is a YouTube link that requires the viewer to suffer through a terrible commercial.  Body and Soul may survive a hundred years from now. With that thought, this musical choice became surprisingly simple.  Then when it could fit, barely, on this size canvas, that also made the decision easier.   That is how it works.  Music is sometimes chosen by coincidence or simple circumstances.  But what actually closed, this choice, had to do with the emotional sense of loss of such a great voice, now, and in the future.

The colors, are going to be, obviously a lot of different blues, purples, and maybe some violets, as a start.  Colors lead to colors, so we will see what surprises we are in for.

Listening to U2- In The Name Love

Scott von Holzen