“Improvisations: Blues and Jazz Visions” Paintings by Joe Roche
Joe Roache Bio and Statement for Jefferson Art Gallery 2024
Show Title: Improvisations: Blues and Jazz Visions
Joe Roache creates oil, acrylic and computer digital art which ranges from figurative to abstract. His work has been
shown in museums, galleries and public spaces around the country and the world.
Joe’s portraits, still life and landscapes reflect his strong sense of color combined with his unique personal style
and technical skill. His work reflects the essence of his travels, from his birthplace in Columbia, South Carolina to
many parts of the US, Europe and Africa.
Joe completed his undergraduate study in art at Florida A&M University and graduate study at The University of
Wisconsin, Madison, graduating with an MFA in Painting Joe taught courses in 3D Animation and Design in the
School of Journalism and Painting in the Art Department was also the Director of Instructional Media and Interim
Assistant Vice President of Instructional Technology at Florida A&M University
Joe Roache has participated in many group and one-man exhibitions. His work is represented in the collections of
Barnett Bank of Florida (Jacksonville, Florida), the City of Orlando, Bendix Corp., Xerox Inc., the Mississippi
Museum of Art, the University of South Florida, and Florida A&M University as well as many private collections
around the world. His group and one-man shows include exhibitions at Alabama State University, The Atlanta Life
Insurance Show, Alabama A&M University, U.S National-International Art Show for the Division of Cultural Affairs
of Florida, Gulf Coast Community College, Four Arts Gallery - Florida State University, LeMoyne Art Foundation,
and Okaloose-Walton Community College. Joe Roache has done extensive work with digital images and 3D
animation and has lectured on these subjects at The University of Oslo, Norway, The University of Nicynhy Norgod,
Russia, The University of Edinburg, Scotland, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, and The University of Nairobi,
Kenya and other organizations and conferences. At Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida, he was
commissioned to do a large-scale painting that is housed on the first-floor lobby of the School of Business and
Industry (SBI) Building on the university campus. His work is also in the collection of the FAMU Archives and the
Coleman Library.
Artist Statement
The paintings in this show are from a series of paintings that explore Jazz and Blues music creators and developers.
In this series I am depicting images of the people and places that were instrumental in creating and developing
one of the original American art forms. Blues and Jazz were created by people who had very little financially but
were spiritually rich. These paintings show houses or shacks as a basic symbol that carries throughout the series.
These houses give the work a pictorial and stylistic continuity that helps to center the theme. The theme is about
the creation of art in a hostile environment.
My paintings try to depict what the great jazz musician Archie Shepp said when he stated: “{Where is that driving
music man, where is that driving music man, who use to wail our backs. Never knew where he came from, it could
have been a castle or a shack. He had a priceless song to sang, his music tells you where it’s at.”
Dreams are the doors to our unconscious, understand them and understand ourselves. The house is our little
kingdom in which we shelter from the world. The symbol of the house that I use helps to give the work a basic
continuity that helps the viewer to have a place to begin.
Art Shows and Exhibitions
Atlanta Life Show; Annual African American Artist; Atlanta, GA., 1983
University Gallery; University of Wisconsin, Madison -One-Man Show, 1983
Alabama A&M University; One-Man Show Harambee Arts & Cultural Heritage Festival, 1984
U.S. National/International Art Show; sponsored by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, State of
Florida, April 1984
Gulf Coast Community College; One-Man Show, February 1985
Four Arts Gallery; Florida State University; Two-person Show, 1986
LeMoyne Art Foundation; Group Show, 1986
Atlanta Life Art Show, 1986
Okaloosa-Walton Community College; One-man Show, 1987
Atlanta Life Show, 1987
Painting purchased by the Barnett Bank of Florida, Jacksonville, 1988
Florida State University, Center for Professional Development, Solo Show, 1989
St. Marks United Methodist Church, Montclair, New Jersey, Commissioned mural artwork, 1989
Mural project sponsored by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey and Xerox Corporation. This project consisted of a two
week stay in Nairobi, Kenya and the completion of a mural (8'x17') that was installed in the School of Business and
Industry at Florida A&M University, 1991
Painting purchased by the Art-in-Public Places, State of Florida. Painting installed in Coleman Library collection
(5x10), Florida A&M University. 1992
Painting purchased by the University of South Florida, 1992
Painting purchased by the City of Orlando, 1993
Florida A&M University Art Gallery; FAMU Faculty Show, 1993
Contemporary Art Museum, University of South Florida, Regenerative Spirit, 1993
Florida A&M University Art Gallery; FAMU Faculty Show, 1994
City Summer Invitational, July 25-August 26, 1994; Joe Roache, Will Luck, Charles Pierce, Sal Guastella, Tony
Quickle, John Roberge.
Center for the Arts, Tallahassee, Florida; AFRAM Four, 1994 -- Purchase Award.
FAMU Faculty Art Show, Group Show, 1997
Four paintings purchased by Dr. Shaun Laurie for offices, 2009
Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, Florida; Group Show, 2010
“The Color of Music” Florida A&M University, Paintings by Joe Roache, 2010
Appleton Museum of Art of Central Florida Community College, Group Show, seven painting shown, 2010, Ocala,
Florida.
621 Gallery, First Friday Show 2011
Black Creativity 2012, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
Black Creativity 2013, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
Black Creativity 2014, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show, won First Place for Painting and Best
of Show.
Jacksonville Jazz Festival Poster Contest winner; 2012. Art work used on all of the festival communications,
advertising and sales materials.
Gadsden Art Center,23 rd Annual Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2011-2012
Gadsden Art Center,25 th Silver Anniversary Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2012-2013
Gadsden Art Center, Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2014
Gadsden Art Center, Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2015
Gadsden Art Center, Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2017
621 Gallery, One Man Show, “The Interaction of Color” 2018
LeMoyne Art Foundation; One Man Show, 2020
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Regional Show 2012
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Regional Show 2014
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Regional Show 2016
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Music As Muse 2017
Black Creativity 2018, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
ArtFields Art Competition, Lake City, SC, April 26 – May 4, 2019: Awards $140,000+ in cash prizes.
LeMoyne Art Foundation; One Man Show, “Joe Roache: A Reprospective” 2020
Black Creativity 2021, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
ArtFields Art Competition, Lake City, SC, April 26 – May 4, 2022:
Anderson Brickler Gallery, Tallahassee, FL, Show, “Her Blood Runs Through My Veins”; Joe Roache, Paul Houzell,
Joseph Pearson Artists
Black Creativity 2024, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
ArtFields Art Competition, Lake City, SC, April 26 – May 4, 2024
Titles of Some of the Paintings in the Show
Some of the paintings in this show have titles taken from titles of Jazz and Blues music. The list below shows ome
of the titles and gives a short description from two websites: www.LearnJazzStandards.com and
www.listofbluesstandards.com
How High The Moon
“How High The Moon” – Written by Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton.
“How High The Moon” has become a must-know tune for modern musicians. The tune is often played at
a brisk tempo and provides a rich canvas for improvisation. Charlie Parker’s famous bebop composition,
“Ornithology,” is basically a new melody with the same changes (known as a contrafact).
Four
“Four” – Written by Miles Davis.
This tune is a prime example of his knack for composing tunes that are as engaging as they are
straightforward. The playful melody and fast tempo exemplify Davis’s cool and accessible approach to
bebop. As such, “Four” offers an enjoyable challenge for musicians while serving as a solid introduction
to jazz harmony.
Footprints
“Footprints” – Written by Wayne Shorter.
Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” is a masterclass in modern composition. With its haunting melody,
asymmetric 6/4 time signature, and unique minor blues form, it pushes boundaries and invites a profound
exploration of modal jazz.
Fly Me To The Moon
“Fly Me To The Moon” – Written by Bart Howard.
This song made it onto the pop charts several times with many popular artists over the years. This is one
of the songs that embody the charisma and elegance of the genre. Its memorable melody, romantic
lyricism, and accessible harmonic progression have made it a beloved standard in many music circles.
Body and Soul
“Body and Soul” – Written by Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert
Sour, and Frank Eyton.
Known for its emotional depth and complexity, this tune is a staple among ballads in the jazz tradition.
The rich and intricate harmonic structure of “Body and Soul” offers a vast landscape for improvisation,
making it a favorite among players like Coleman Hawkins to John Coltrane.
Alone Together
“Alone Together” – Written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz.
This song, like many jazz standards, was written for a Broadway musical – Flying Colors (1932).
However, many jazz instrumentalists have taken it and made it their own. This song became most
popular during the cool jazz era.
Show Title: Improvisations: Blues and Jazz Visions
Joe Roache creates oil, acrylic and computer digital art which ranges from figurative to abstract. His work has been
shown in museums, galleries and public spaces around the country and the world.
Joe’s portraits, still life and landscapes reflect his strong sense of color combined with his unique personal style
and technical skill. His work reflects the essence of his travels, from his birthplace in Columbia, South Carolina to
many parts of the US, Europe and Africa.
Joe completed his undergraduate study in art at Florida A&M University and graduate study at The University of
Wisconsin, Madison, graduating with an MFA in Painting Joe taught courses in 3D Animation and Design in the
School of Journalism and Painting in the Art Department was also the Director of Instructional Media and Interim
Assistant Vice President of Instructional Technology at Florida A&M University
Joe Roache has participated in many group and one-man exhibitions. His work is represented in the collections of
Barnett Bank of Florida (Jacksonville, Florida), the City of Orlando, Bendix Corp., Xerox Inc., the Mississippi
Museum of Art, the University of South Florida, and Florida A&M University as well as many private collections
around the world. His group and one-man shows include exhibitions at Alabama State University, The Atlanta Life
Insurance Show, Alabama A&M University, U.S National-International Art Show for the Division of Cultural Affairs
of Florida, Gulf Coast Community College, Four Arts Gallery - Florida State University, LeMoyne Art Foundation,
and Okaloose-Walton Community College. Joe Roache has done extensive work with digital images and 3D
animation and has lectured on these subjects at The University of Oslo, Norway, The University of Nicynhy Norgod,
Russia, The University of Edinburg, Scotland, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, and The University of Nairobi,
Kenya and other organizations and conferences. At Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida, he was
commissioned to do a large-scale painting that is housed on the first-floor lobby of the School of Business and
Industry (SBI) Building on the university campus. His work is also in the collection of the FAMU Archives and the
Coleman Library.
Artist Statement
The paintings in this show are from a series of paintings that explore Jazz and Blues music creators and developers.
In this series I am depicting images of the people and places that were instrumental in creating and developing
one of the original American art forms. Blues and Jazz were created by people who had very little financially but
were spiritually rich. These paintings show houses or shacks as a basic symbol that carries throughout the series.
These houses give the work a pictorial and stylistic continuity that helps to center the theme. The theme is about
the creation of art in a hostile environment.
My paintings try to depict what the great jazz musician Archie Shepp said when he stated: “{Where is that driving
music man, where is that driving music man, who use to wail our backs. Never knew where he came from, it could
have been a castle or a shack. He had a priceless song to sang, his music tells you where it’s at.”
Dreams are the doors to our unconscious, understand them and understand ourselves. The house is our little
kingdom in which we shelter from the world. The symbol of the house that I use helps to give the work a basic
continuity that helps the viewer to have a place to begin.
Art Shows and Exhibitions
Atlanta Life Show; Annual African American Artist; Atlanta, GA., 1983
University Gallery; University of Wisconsin, Madison -One-Man Show, 1983
Alabama A&M University; One-Man Show Harambee Arts & Cultural Heritage Festival, 1984
U.S. National/International Art Show; sponsored by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, State of
Florida, April 1984
Gulf Coast Community College; One-Man Show, February 1985
Four Arts Gallery; Florida State University; Two-person Show, 1986
LeMoyne Art Foundation; Group Show, 1986
Atlanta Life Art Show, 1986
Okaloosa-Walton Community College; One-man Show, 1987
Atlanta Life Show, 1987
Painting purchased by the Barnett Bank of Florida, Jacksonville, 1988
Florida State University, Center for Professional Development, Solo Show, 1989
St. Marks United Methodist Church, Montclair, New Jersey, Commissioned mural artwork, 1989
Mural project sponsored by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey and Xerox Corporation. This project consisted of a two
week stay in Nairobi, Kenya and the completion of a mural (8'x17') that was installed in the School of Business and
Industry at Florida A&M University, 1991
Painting purchased by the Art-in-Public Places, State of Florida. Painting installed in Coleman Library collection
(5x10), Florida A&M University. 1992
Painting purchased by the University of South Florida, 1992
Painting purchased by the City of Orlando, 1993
Florida A&M University Art Gallery; FAMU Faculty Show, 1993
Contemporary Art Museum, University of South Florida, Regenerative Spirit, 1993
Florida A&M University Art Gallery; FAMU Faculty Show, 1994
City Summer Invitational, July 25-August 26, 1994; Joe Roache, Will Luck, Charles Pierce, Sal Guastella, Tony
Quickle, John Roberge.
Center for the Arts, Tallahassee, Florida; AFRAM Four, 1994 -- Purchase Award.
FAMU Faculty Art Show, Group Show, 1997
Four paintings purchased by Dr. Shaun Laurie for offices, 2009
Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, Florida; Group Show, 2010
“The Color of Music” Florida A&M University, Paintings by Joe Roache, 2010
Appleton Museum of Art of Central Florida Community College, Group Show, seven painting shown, 2010, Ocala,
Florida.
621 Gallery, First Friday Show 2011
Black Creativity 2012, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
Black Creativity 2013, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
Black Creativity 2014, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show, won First Place for Painting and Best
of Show.
Jacksonville Jazz Festival Poster Contest winner; 2012. Art work used on all of the festival communications,
advertising and sales materials.
Gadsden Art Center,23 rd Annual Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2011-2012
Gadsden Art Center,25 th Silver Anniversary Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2012-2013
Gadsden Art Center, Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2014
Gadsden Art Center, Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2015
Gadsden Art Center, Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, 2017
621 Gallery, One Man Show, “The Interaction of Color” 2018
LeMoyne Art Foundation; One Man Show, 2020
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Regional Show 2012
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Regional Show 2014
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Regional Show 2016
Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Cultural Arts, Music As Muse 2017
Black Creativity 2018, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
ArtFields Art Competition, Lake City, SC, April 26 – May 4, 2019: Awards $140,000+ in cash prizes.
LeMoyne Art Foundation; One Man Show, “Joe Roache: A Reprospective” 2020
Black Creativity 2021, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
ArtFields Art Competition, Lake City, SC, April 26 – May 4, 2022:
Anderson Brickler Gallery, Tallahassee, FL, Show, “Her Blood Runs Through My Veins”; Joe Roache, Paul Houzell,
Joseph Pearson Artists
Black Creativity 2024, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Juried Show
ArtFields Art Competition, Lake City, SC, April 26 – May 4, 2024
Titles of Some of the Paintings in the Show
Some of the paintings in this show have titles taken from titles of Jazz and Blues music. The list below shows ome
of the titles and gives a short description from two websites: www.LearnJazzStandards.com and
www.listofbluesstandards.com
How High The Moon
“How High The Moon” – Written by Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton.
“How High The Moon” has become a must-know tune for modern musicians. The tune is often played at
a brisk tempo and provides a rich canvas for improvisation. Charlie Parker’s famous bebop composition,
“Ornithology,” is basically a new melody with the same changes (known as a contrafact).
Four
“Four” – Written by Miles Davis.
This tune is a prime example of his knack for composing tunes that are as engaging as they are
straightforward. The playful melody and fast tempo exemplify Davis’s cool and accessible approach to
bebop. As such, “Four” offers an enjoyable challenge for musicians while serving as a solid introduction
to jazz harmony.
Footprints
“Footprints” – Written by Wayne Shorter.
Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” is a masterclass in modern composition. With its haunting melody,
asymmetric 6/4 time signature, and unique minor blues form, it pushes boundaries and invites a profound
exploration of modal jazz.
Fly Me To The Moon
“Fly Me To The Moon” – Written by Bart Howard.
This song made it onto the pop charts several times with many popular artists over the years. This is one
of the songs that embody the charisma and elegance of the genre. Its memorable melody, romantic
lyricism, and accessible harmonic progression have made it a beloved standard in many music circles.
Body and Soul
“Body and Soul” – Written by Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert
Sour, and Frank Eyton.
Known for its emotional depth and complexity, this tune is a staple among ballads in the jazz tradition.
The rich and intricate harmonic structure of “Body and Soul” offers a vast landscape for improvisation,
making it a favorite among players like Coleman Hawkins to John Coltrane.
Alone Together
“Alone Together” – Written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz.
This song, like many jazz standards, was written for a Broadway musical – Flying Colors (1932).
However, many jazz instrumentalists have taken it and made it their own. This song became most
popular during the cool jazz era.