After Hours 1954

Billy Morrow Jackson made this print, After Hours, and what strikes me is its tonal range. It's like Jackson is feeling his way through the dark with these musicians. There's something about the way the figures emerge from the shadows, almost like they’re being built up from charcoal dust. See how the saxophonist seems to blend into the background, while the pianist is more defined, with those sharp, angular hands. It reminds me of some of Picasso's cubist drawings, where he's breaking down form into these abstract shapes, but here it's more about capturing a mood, a vibe. That feeling of being up late, when things get a little hazy and dreamlike. The drummer is particularly great, like a bundle of geometric shapes loosely held together. It makes you wonder if Jackson was a jazz fan himself. You know, art's just a conversation, right? We're all riffing off each other.