Matisse Jazz Project at The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts And Cultural Center

About

The Matisse Jazz Project is, as the name suggests, Jazz music inspired by the iconic cut paper collages of Henri Matisse, published in 1947. The twenty pieces composed by pianist Christopher Bakriges correspond to each of the Matisse Jazz cutouts and his writings. Matisse viewed jazz as a “chromatic and rhythmic improvisation” and evoked the idea of a structure of rhythm and repetition broken by the unexpected action of improvisations. Matisse wrote, “There are wonderful things in real jazz, the talent for improvisation, the liveliness, the being at one with the audience.” Bakriges leaves his own stunningly touching and virtuosic homage to the legacy of a leading figure in modern art.