Jazz

A Major Form of Musical Expression

Collins Cover Announcement 

Jazz

I believe that in future years this individually hand painted First Day Cover will come to be considered one of the finest produced in 2011. I already plan to enter it in next year's American First Day Cover Society's National Cachetrnakers Contest. The clever design and pleasing color combinations of the new extra-large Jazz stamp, with its perfect New Orleans bullseye day of issue cancellation, was my starting point.

Considerations for my cachet illustration eventually coalesced with Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Al Hirt. Ella was known as the "First Lady of Song" and was a jazz vocalist with a three-octave range. Her career spanned 59 years. Louie, also known as "Satchmo" was a jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans. His early influence on jazz as a musical art form and his charismatic stage presence were profound. Al was known as "the Round Mound of Sound" and became famous as a trumpeter and band leader. In the 1950s, his jazz renditions with the Monk Hazel Band propelled his career to national fame where he brought his Dixieland and jazz styles to the Big Band stage. During my Air Force years from 1961 to 1965, he was one of my music artist favorites as were Louie and Ella.

It is said that jazz is America's musical gift to the world. New Orleans is where it first developed, and it was a combination of African, European, and American influences. I am pleased and honored to depict three great artists and supreme performers who showcased this distinctive national musical art form. Here's to the unbelievable sounds of the First Lady of Song, Satchmo, and the Round Mound of Sound. Here's to Ella, Louie, and Al. Here's to Jazz! Collins #M4801 — $14.00.