Jazz Portraits 15-Bobbi Humphrey

I found Bobbi through hip hop music, and again this is one of the ways my love and appreciation for her music has grown. You remember which group sampled "San Francisco Lights"?

I also love "My Little Girl" and my all time favorite BLACKS AND BLUES!
Bobbi was one of the first female instrumentalists to be signed to Blue Note, recording several LP's w/them and is still alive and playing today! Give thanks to creativity where ever you may find it.

Sounds on Monday

Always loved this song. Their Lp was super slept on! Asheru/Blue Black

Ayah and DJ Jazzy Jeff! Great LP! If they had a video for "maybe we can just" Id be in it!

Def Sound + Nikko Gray .Oooh, this song is SEXY! Slowly making a wave is Def Sound from the Illav8r crew. Just getting hip to Nikko Gray too, but I love her voice.

Character 24-Rufio

Anyone remember this film? Always wished we could have gotten more backstory. Fuck it;a whole damn movie about the character "Rufio". This is my version of him if he left never never land for a few years and came back.

Muphoric Sounds 18- Colourbox (uk)

Love this record by Colourbox. I think I broke my dads old mixtape that had this record on it. It was filled with original dub mixes and cats rewinding the record only to start it again. Check out this remake of the classic Dennis Brown/Augustus Pablo joint..."Baby I love You so". This is part of my "In the Trunk" series on

Muphoric Sounds

Typography 14- Digable Planets

"D" is for Digable Planets. I first heard of them like everybody else through Cool Like Dat. My dad actually told me I should check them out, I think. Then I kept listening to them even when the second LP came out and most forgot about them. I went to see them perform at the Fillmore in SF in 95' when Blowout Comb was brand new, then again in 2006. Through LadyBug's individual releases, Butterfly's "Cherry Wine", and Doodlebug's solo work as C.Knowledge they're still standing strong! Peep this video of them live in Toronto. Two of my favorites:
Pacifics (NY Is Red hot)
Graffiti feat Jeru Da Damaja

Quick Piece at SF Arts Institute

One of my mentors and one of the illest artist's I know Brett Cook invited a bunch of folks to come through and paint with a class of students he was teaching over the summer. It was nice to be back at the SF Arts Institute and cool as a slurpee on new years to work with the fam Yoshi, Cece Carpio, Ms Sarai, Evan Bissell (as always), and the students from Brett's class who were all very talented. Here's a few quick photos from my cell phone and Brett's Flickr.

Jazz Portraits 14-Madlib the Beat Konducta

I might need an extra page to count all the Madlib (aka Quasimoto, Beat Konducta, YNQ, Madvillian, Jaylib) beats I keep on rotation. This cat is like one of the illest and most prolific Jazz Musicians on the beat machine you ever heard. How about
So Much
Dear God
Basic Instinct
Mystic Bounce
support his music here

Short Story 8 + Children's Book Progress

The Story Context: On a cold day in Brooklyn a father and son take a journey together to cure a cough.They not only encounter obstacles, but they have fun getting past them.

In this scene: "After me and my Dad prepare the veggies and fruits, we juice them and drink to our health. The juice is both delicious and invigorating making us feel stronger and lighter with each gulp". -Saj

So, this week I'm stepping one foot closer to publishing my own Children's book. I'm heading to the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) LA conference where I will do away with the challenge of not knowing many other young artists working in the field. I started scribbling on post its for this story two years ago and I've re written and redrawn several times. The process you see here is a product of that practice. You see the sketch, the color examples I did in Photoshop, and the process of rendering it using watercolor and ink. Each time I paint stories, i learn a little more. And each time I talk with folks in the Children's book, Comics, or Storytelling field I learn more. I'll be blogging about it once I get back and showing photos from it. Wish me luck.

Typography 13- Bebel Gilberto

B is for Bebel!Bebel has one of the most beautiful voices. I heard her music for the first time in 2001 and have loved her sound ever since. I wish more US vocalists would collaborate with international musicians. Two of my favorite Bebel songs are August Day Song and the DJ Spinna remix of Ceu Distante. to see more of my typography project, click on my portfolio or the "Jazz" label below.
Ceu Distante (Dj Spinna Remix)(1) by RobertTres

Jazz Portrait 13-Cassandra Wilson

I remember when i met Cassandra Wilson, I was so nervous I couldn't think of what to say except that my grandfather was from the same state she was from as she smiled and signed my cd. My dad used to listen to her and that's how I fell in love with her sultry voice. Remember "You Move Me" and "Darkness on the Delta"? Ms Wilson, if you're looking at this portrait, its not meant to be an exact portrait, just an expression.