John Coltrane sketch by Atlanta Georgia Artist Corey Barksdale. "Coltrane is at the top of my list when it comes to jazz musicians," says Barksdale. A Coltrane recording he particularly enjoys is Africa. "Coltrane is improvisational in the piece, but he has structure in his sound. I like the freedom that he has when he's playing Africa. It's rhythmic and free." Barksdale admires Miles Davis with equal measure for his rawness. "Davis was into experimenting and trying different things with his sound. He was a catalyst for other musicians and he was a pioneer in his time, all without commercializing the music." So what is it about jazz that inspires Barksdale's creativity as a painter? "I love the improvisation of jazz musicians from the '50s and '60s. There was a lot of experimentation going on. In much the same way, I want to create something totally new with my paintings each time - to be different in the way I portray certain subjects."
