Meet Jonathan Glass
Jonathan Glass has been documenting jazz concerts for the last 30 years. Illustrator, Alan E. Cober and anthropologist/artist, Nicki Orbach served as mentors, guiding Jonathan to sketch the music that nourishes his soul.
Mr. Cober encouraged Jonathan to delve deeply into all aspects of the lives of the musicians he draws, which will help to define his drawings of them.
Nicki Orbach encouraged Jonathan to read Rollo May, Albert Camus, & Thich Nhat Hanh. Concepts like balance, rhythm, tonality, graphic void and when to stop from overworking a piece.
Often Nicki saw the practice of making art as selflessly surrendering to the process, a sort of shedding of the self that constantly ebbs and flows along with the temperament within us. In this way, accolades and accomplishments are just reminders of this ethic rather than the measure of success.
About 10 years ago, curator Sasha Nicolas, visited Jonathan’s studio with a suggestion. After viewing multitudes and ways of creating, Sasha recommended sticking to just one thing as a way of leaving a legacy. From that point on, Jonathan made drawing Jazz musicians his mission in life. Over the past 10 years this prioritizing lead Jonathan to draw over 400 sketches of the Jazz scene from the many venues across the U.S.
In 2025 Jonathan hopes to commemorate the legendary performers, both living and dead, by publishing a coffee table book highlighting his experiences. Since many of the performers have passed, Jonathan sees it as his civic duty to honor those lost, but not forgotten.
Beyond this, Jonathan has worked many jobs to support his drawing aims. From 2013-2024, often working 50-60 hour weeks, Jonathan has maintained his drawings as the engine driving his productivity. After an 8 hour shift, the music and its vitality has become an energizing force. Jonathan sees his ability to draw as a conduit from which the music flows through him to allow him to place marks in real time to the span of a performance. While capturing a likeness of each musician on paper, Jonathan enjoys depicting the movement and energy that is particular to each performer.
Jonathan continues his desire for growth and comprehension as a lifelong pursuit. In order to maintain a sensitivity towards subject, Jonathan hopes to portray the Jazz world as he sees it, as a beacon of light of American culture and heritage.
Selected Press
“Sketching to the Music” – The New York Times
“When the Music Starts: Jazz Drawings by Jonathan Glass” – Fountain House Gallery
“Security Guard & Artist: Meet Jonathan Glass” – SoHo Broadway Initiative