If you compare Atlanta jazz pianist Takana Miyamoto's 2007 profile in Creative Loafing with her promotional photo at the High Museum's website, the first word that comes to mind is versatile. (Perhaps shortly after "Damn, is that even the same person!?")
In the first picture, her brilliantly teased ROCKRGRL hairdo suggests a more punk sensibility softened, of course, by a well-placed scarf. (Not unlike the stylings of the jazz-turned-pop star Ringo Shiina.) In Miyamoto's more recent headshots, however, we see the more mature composer/musician whose pose exudes both sensitivity and confidence. In the age of corporate rebranding, it's nice to see artists and musicians using similarly chameleon-esque tactics for good, not evil.
Miyamoto's Friday Jazz performance is scheduled for this Fri., May 15, from 5-10 p.m. at the High Museum of Art. The concert is free with museum admission or membership, so it's an excellent time to (re)view the current Louvre Atlanta exhibition and David C. Driskell's printmaking retrospective.
(Photo by Shabiroon Jumaralli)