Thursday, February 24, 2011

Piano Slim

My cab driver in Saint Louis was a guy who called himself “Piano Slim.” At night he parked the taxi and played the blues.



I sketched his portrait from the back seat. “The blues ain’t no more like they used to be,” he said.
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6 comments:

  1. Mattie!February 24, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    Hey James! I'm trying to get in on IMC this year. I tried to contact Rebecca but haven't heard back. Do you know who else I could try emailing? Hope its not full.

    ReplyDelete
  2. stephen molyneaux February 25, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    Hey james..I love this sketch. You have really captured him talking

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  3. James GurneyFebruary 25, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    Mattie, I think the email is illustrationmasterclass@gmail.com, so maybe give it another try, and you should hear back.

    Thanks, Steve, wish I could have heard him play the piano.

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  4. AnnieMarch 1, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    you got him alright, sounds like an interesting character. did you show him the sketch?

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  5. James GurneyMarch 1, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    Annie, yes, he looked at it and signed it. I usually try to show my subjects the sketch I do of them.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Frank PrchalOctober 7, 2012 at 1:17 AM

    You really captured his likeness very well - you're quite talented. I was his guitar player on several engagements in St. Louis in the early 80s. He was a great guy to work with and for. He had a long and distinguished career, but was better known in Europe, where he toured several times, than in America. He has recordings on the Dutch Swingmaster label and the Austrian Wolf label.

    ReplyDelete

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