Grammy award-winning Jazz saxophonist improvises to famous paintings

Ted Nash took home several Grammys in 2017 for his compositional work on presidential speeches. Now, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra saxophonist lets famous art lead his musical inspirations.

Nash’s musical methods for interpreting art began several years ago with his album with Wynton Marsalis called “Portrait in Seven Shades,” which drew inspiration from several MOMA masterpieces including ones from Chagall, Dali, Monet, and Pollock.

Nash was recently at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art to share this process with some local musicians during a week-long workshop with selected local musicians.

KCRW recently met him and his flute among the collection of famous paintings at the museum to hear his musical improvisations based on a few of the museum’s artistic compositions.