Speaking about my early student days in Nashville.... Nashville is where I learned cultural diversity and where I came of age as a young black man. I began to grasp the cultural complexities of art reflecting life, life in turn inspiring art. My voice as a young black man found expression on canvas and those turbulent times fueled my need to express the turmoil I felt as a young man.

Some of the musical legions that I've met and painted... Even as early as my high school days I met Count Basie and Duke Ellington and as a young jazz fan and as a burgeoning art student they shared their more mature life experience and helped my eager self to pursue my vision. In Cambridge, Mass. just a few houses from where we lived was the great saxophonist, Johnnie Hodges who was a fixture in the Duke Ellington band. Many times I would pass his home and we would speak & I would see famous musicians with their instruments and it made an indelible impression upon me. Years later I had the privilege of interviewing Count Basie for my university newspaper.

A major influence was Mr. Miles Davis who also was an artist of some note and his warm welcome backstage and insight upon the European art scene directed me to my first trip to the Continent and found his advice to be true, especially then, that the Black man had greater stature and credibility there.

I was thrilled to meet and linger with the great Sarah Vaughn at the Monterey Jazz Festival and her warm welcome to maintain contact lead me to create a composition in her honor which I was pleased to entitle "Vaughn with the Wind" and my new conceptual ability was not lost but nicely realized with a leaf in the "Sarah Spring," and when Sassy acquired the piece she did enjoy the play on words.

...Speaking of the celebrities who have acquired my artwork..... In 1996, during the Atlanta Olympics after the stirring torch lighting ceremony by Muhammad Ali which affected everyone who was there, and saw it on television. The then current heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield did acquire a work of art which depicted him adorned with the gold from the previous olympiad that was unjustly denied him. That conception lead me to pursue a genre of art that I've described as "art with a social function" to which I am still devoted today.

Mr. Oscar Peterson, that iconic jazz pianist, met me at the North Sea Jazz Festival, he did acquire my tribute to the great stride pianists of jazz (entitled: Pianorama)that was the result of my deep love for the fathers of modern jazz piano. Featuring Fats Waller, Errol Garner, James P. Johnson and several others. Oscar did comment that "his inclusion in this select group was an unexpected honor and felt most flattered to be in select company." Most especially Mr. Tony Bennett, who is an accomplished painter in his on right, received me and wanted my painting of Louis Armstrong entitled, "Is You A Viper" and Mr. Bennett did regale me with stories and anecdotes from his half century at the forefront of vocal jazz. We shared many good moments and lots of laughs.

What got me interested in art....? Complete control over ones destiny-only limited by your energy and imagination. The freedom does come with the price of monumental responsibility. I can't expect anyone to complete my task for me. The people in the work a day world who have sacrificed their freedom and therefore they are rubbing some dimes together. Had I chosen another field of endeavor I couldn't control my destiny. I'm creating a product that endures if it is accepted and if it has validity. Many times in the work a day world a person does their job and there is no enduring quality for their work. An artist creates something - it has a life of it's own, treasured and it endures.

TASK COMPLETION... Because of my background and because I had come from a big family we grew our own food, we had a degree of independence with parental support and lived in a hot bed of cultural activities. The idea of taking lessons and respecting other academic fields of endeavor began to value accomplishment, it is so wonderful to be buoyed up by such accomplishments. Even though I have degrees, I feel that my life and what I do-may serve as an example for others who respect tradition of life and love and if I can give that fire of life and desire. These things that my daughter has seen me do are timely cause its coming from the First Lady and these young teens seeing the First Lady living in the White House, my daughter has a respect for these things that seem so common place.

My specialty - jazz music, cultural awareness and the cross pollination of what different peoples bring to the human drama. Stay well and write when you can.

Most sincerely, The artist, John Henry Nichols

©2012 John Henry Nichols | nicholsart@gmail.com