Composers like Ravel and Debussy might have vehemently denied it, but there is a connection between the arts of painting and composing. The most obvious one of course is that they’re both trying to reach their audience. But sometimes styles overlap, like impressionism, classicism and even cubism. So when Dave Brubeck sought inspiration for his latest album in the paintings of Catalan artist Joan Miró he was not wrong. And the cover of the record is a nice bonus.
I’ve seen some paintings of Miró in the local museum (I think it was the Stedelijk in Amsterdam) and I’ve always enjoyed their light hearted look. Miró was a surrealist, but somehow not of the heavy kind. I cannot stand those depressive paintings of Salvador Dali for instance. It is the seemingly chaotic distribution of images and colors that makes me happy. Like jazz.