Meet artist Dan Gardiner and jazz icon Jimmy Smith

Artist Dan Gardiner has generously created and donated a portrait of famous Jazz icon “Jimmy Smith” for Plymouth Arts Center’s sixth annual Cheese Capital Jazz Crawl for the Arts. This impressive portrait is on display at the Plymouth Arts Center and is represented in commemorative posters, T-shirts (on sale now), flyers and other publicity.

The original painting will be auctioned off at 7 p.m., Aug. 14, during the Jazz Crawl at the PAC. The lucky live-auction winner will enjoy this original art piece, which measures 36-by-36 and features Jimmy at his beloved keyboard.

Jimmy Smith was a jazz genius who for more than 40 years coaxed unlikely sounds of soul and jazz sophistication from an unlikely instrument, the Hammond B3 organ.

James Oscar Smith was born in Norristown, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, to parents who were pianists. His father, who played stride piano, was his first teacher.

Before Smith discovered the Hammond B3 in 1951, the organ got little respect from jazz artists, despite Fats Waller's virtuosity with the instrument. Fusing blues, R&B and gospel, Smith took the instrument where it had never gone before. As one reviewer said, he “turned the organ into almost an ensemble itself.”

He was the primary exponent of the infectious, hip-shaking “Philadelphia sound” of the B3, often found in the clubs of Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Jersey. He performed in various ensembles, from a trio of organ, jazz and drums to high-flying organ duels with his Philadelphia protégés, Jimmy McGriff and Joey DeFrancesco.

On Jan. 7, the National Endowment for the Arts designated Mr. Smith an NEA Jazz Master, the nation's highest honor in jazz. “Jimmy Smith transformed the organ into a jazz instrument,” NEA Chairman Dana Gioia told the Associated Press. “Jazz has lost a pioneering talent, not to mention a one-of-a-kind personality.”

Artist Dan Gardiner was born and raised in Detroit, and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1980. He moved to Green Bay soon after, and has supported himself and his family as an artist ever since.

Dan has both freelanced and worked in ad and art agencies. In recent years, he has phased out most commercial work to concentrate on his painting. He and a partner own a mural painting company in Sheboygan, and Dan also works on smaller pieces for commissions and competitions.

His work has appeared in many galleries, art exhibits, magazines, books, ads, businesses – even in Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.

When given the time, Dan will generally work on a jazz-related piece as he has been a jazz fanatic since his teenage years.

Dan presently lives in Plymouth and, like many artists, feels there is never enough time to work on all the pieces he has planned.

Gardiner’s Artist Statement: An artist must make hundreds of decisions to create a successful painting. Subject matter, composition, color choices, size, texture, medium . . . the list goes on. But once an artist has mastered basic drawing fundamentals, painting is a fascinating endeavor. And one who can support himself painting is a lucky individual indeed.

Color and texture interest me the most. Subject matter is not important to me; someone once said everything is fodder. A flower, a dumpster, a musician, an old building. . . . Picture an elderly woman standing at a bus stop in the pouring rain; in the hands of a skilled artist, this image is naturally universal and poignant.

I like to lay the paint on thick; the visible brush strokes personalize the artwork in a manner that photography and digital art cannot. And I’ll never be satisfied till I get the colors “right,” which is why I enjoy acrylics. One can experiment with the medium; letting some of the under-painting show through, change colors endless times, scrub the surface, and even toss a paint-loaded sponge at the canvas.

It’s been said that all an artist can do is his best, sweat a bit over the piece, and then “put it out there.” When he displays his piece, he is really saying, “This subject matter excites and interests me.” And if the artist has created the piece using pleasing color combinations and interesting techniques, hopefully others will enjoy and even find something personal in the artwork.

For more information on this year’s Cheese Capital Jazz Crawl for the Arts, please call 892-8409, e-mail paf@excel.net, visit the Plymouth Arts Center at 520 E. Mill St. in downtown Plymouth, or the Web site www.plymoutharts.org.