Jonathan Glass is a visual improvisor of the highest order. In real time, and with a distinctive style, he captures the essence of jazz performance in his creative and emotionally-felt drawings. He is an important member of the jazz scene in New York and I am always happy to see him listening and artistically creating in the audience when I am performing.

— Fred Hersch

Miles Davis, in addition to being a ground-breaking instrumentalist, was also an excellent painter. He once said that one art form helps the other. I am a firm believer in this ethos. Music and visual arts naturally coexist. Jazz music, with its set foundations and structures, is enlivened by its improvisational and “in the moment” spirit. Jonathan’s Visual Art, his drawings, sketches and paintings, utilize form and structure in a similar way and are also brought to life with improvisation at their core. Their visual origins are inextricably linked to the riffs, call and responses, and atmospheres of the music being improvised in the moment. Capturing a live music performance visually is what Jonathan does. I’ve believed for a very long time, that Jonathan’s work is made with the purest intentions and with a unique, yet disciplined eye for craft. The energy that his drawings evoke are in tandem with what the players in the band are trying to communicate to the listener. His work is very musical in that regard.

— Ravi Coltrane

Jonathan Glass’ on the spot drawings are like our improvisations; we all do what we do in real time; there are no mistakes, only new approaches.

— Dick Hyman

Initially, one might assume that Jonathan Glass is a musician arriving for a gig at The Jazz Gallery.  He shows up early, greets the staff, heads towards a reserved seat, at the edge of the stage – and the music. He unpacks, sets up his gear – pen & paper – and waits for the rest of the band to arrive and take their respective positions on the stage. Once the music begins, Jonathan joins the band, quietly. The music starts and with the pen in hand, he begins to create the sound he sees. His drawings capturing the feeling, energy, beauty and emotion heard in the music as well as the spirit of the Gallery.  When Dale Fitzgerald and I opened the doors to The Jazz Gallery, 25 years ago, it was our intention to have a gallery highlighting the way in which jazz music influenced the visual artist. It is a pleasure to witness Jonathan create his sketches, in real time, documenting the array of musicians who play the Gallery, showcase his art on our walls and to have him be an invaluable part of the music scene and The Jazz Gallery.

— Lezlie Harrison

Co-Founder, The Jazz Gallery, WBGO radio personality

I love it when one medium translates effortlessly into another. I write computer algorithms that turn the music I improvise into animated images in real time, and I find the fusion of the aural and visual thrilling! Jonathan takes this fusion to the next level. When I get onstage to improvise, I know there are specific constraints- whatever I play, it’s done, committed to. There is no editing. And once the performance is over, that’s it, it’s over. Improvising in public is a real-time pursuit with a firm expiration date. When I look out into the audience and see Jonathan drawing, I realize that he is doing exactly the same thing. Drawing in indelible ink on a white sheet of paper. Whatever happens in the hour or so that the set lasts, that’s it. There is no second guessing. He is capturing the spirit of improvisation simultaneously at two levels; not only in the subjects that he draws, but also in the way he draws them. This is a profound combination, and I think it’s palpable in the work that results.

— Dan Tepfer

A variety of Jonathan’s drawings have hit the mark very close. I have a collection in my home, and I look at them from time to time. I don’t stare at them only to get an impression. Jonathan’s drawings often capture the gestural aspect in a very naturalistic way of portrayal.

— Lee Konitz

Jonathan Glass is one of my favorite artists. He’s incredibly technically talented, highly entertaining to watch live, an intuitive and thoughtful listener, and a phenomenal improviser. I see no need to distinguish him from the performers on stage. Jonathan’s art and presence in Jazz clubs, most notably our shared favorite, the Jazz Gallery, has been as important to me as the musicians, in the cultivation of my appreciation and passion for jazz. Watching Jonathan bring the intense, whimsical, or frenetic sounds of the stage onto his paper has helped me process the music as a listener and at times, hear the music in a totally new way. Jonathan is such a key member of my jazz family and we are so lucky to have him capturing and adding to the incredible music we love.

— Meera Dugal

Concerning Mr. Glass’ artwork, I have had a number of opportunities to see him creating. This has only been at music venues. I only stand back and observe what I can without disturbing him at work. In these situations, I’m basically looking at a work in progress, but not a still life. The subjects are alive in real time and he is obviously dealing with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. This approach is improvisational and that’s all I can say about his concepts.

— Henry Threadgill