UnCovered: Aretha Tillotson Talks About Her ‘Kinda Out West’ Album Artwork

In a short period of time, Aretha Tillotson has established herself as one of the most exciting new jazz musicians in Canada. The band leader, bassist, and composer has methodically worked her way up, playing with artists like Kris Davis, Walter Smith III, Francesca Remigi, Allan Chase, and Josh Rosen. In 2023, she toured as a member of the Ingrid and Christine Jensen quintet. Towards the end of that year, she released her debut album, Introducing Aretha Tillotson (Bent River Records). The record was created via interviews with women across many disciplines regarding their experiences in the arts. The reception to the album was extremely positive, evidenced by her 2024 Western Canadian Music Award for “Jazz Artist of the Year.”

Tillotson is gearing up to release her newest project, Kinda Out West. Set for release on November 7th, this will be her second album as a band leader. Featured on the album are Christine Jensen and Dave Laign. Even though she is very much focused on her own records, it does not mean that Tillotson does not have time for other endeavours. She has been active as a touring/resident bassist for the Broadway rendition of SIX. She was the bassist for the SIX residency last year at the Mirvish Theatre in Toronto.

Today, we are joined by Tillotson for an UnCovered interview to discuss the beautiful, scenic artwork for Kinda Out West.

How did the artwork’s image and/or concept come to you?

Aretha Tillotson: “I knew my record was going to be a chordless quartet, composed of bass, drums, alto sax, and trumpet. I was listening to a lot of records without a chordal instrument (guitar or piano), and came across a long-time favourite: Sonny Rollins’ 1957 album Way Out West. This album was recorded in California, as a celebration of Rollins’ first trip west, and alongside his incredible sax playing, also features some amazing bass work from Ray Brown and Shelly Manne on drums. The cover of this album was shot in Joshua Tree out in the desert, and features Sonny Rollins in full cowboy regalia against a backdrop of cactuses and tumbleweed. I wanted to do a take on this album cover, but in my own native Alberta.”

What’s the story behind the album and the artwork? Is there a particular theme or narrative being displayed on which you can elaborate?

“Having been inspired by Sonny Rollins’ Way Out West album cover, I teamed up with photographer Heather Saitz, and we drove out to just outside of Drumheller, Alberta, to shoot in an area called the Badlands. It was super fun! There’s a historically preserved saloon out there called the Last Chance Saloon, and we shot under the bluest sky I’ve ever seen. The theme of this cover is the same celebration of being out west, and celebrating the stillness and serenity of the western Canadian wilderness. My record is very much jazz-focused, but there’s a slight western/folk twinge, and I wanted to show that in my cover.”

What are some of your favourite album covers of all time?

“I think my absolute favourites both come from Thelonious Monk. His 1965 album Solo Monk features a painting of him in pilot’s clothes, ‘flying solo.’ Monk’s 1968 album Underground is another favourite. The cover depicts Monk at a piano with a rifle strapped to his back, in a bunker, with a nazi officer tied to a chair behind him. I’m very inspired by Melba Liston’s 1959 album And Her Bones as well.

“The jazz label Blue Note Records had dozens of these stunning covers in the ’50s and ’60s, and I really enjoy Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ 1965 album Free for All, Dexter Gordon’s 1963 album Our Man In Paris, and Lou Donaldson’s 1957 album Swing and Soul, to name a few.”

Aretha Tillotson ‘Kinda Out West’ album artwork

Where would you be most excited to see your album artwork postered or displayed?

“This is maybe how every jazz musician feels, but I would love to have my album artwork displayed outside the Village Vanguard in New York City. This is a historic jazz club, where some of my favourite live albums have been recorded for the past 70 years.”

Please elaborate on the medium(s) used when creating the art. We’d love to know how the artwork was created.

“When I went out to Drumheller, Alberta, to shoot for the cover, my photographer, Heather Saitz, did a lot of research on the 1950s and 1960s styles I was inspired by. As the primary inspiration was Sonny Rollins’ Way Out West, she brought a number of vintage cameras and film, alongside her modern digital camera, as a way to incorporate the original style of the cover while still having the versatility and reliability of a digital camera.

“My album’s physical release also features a booklet that fully displays the range of photography that Heather implemented on our shoot.”

What were the partnership’s dynamics like? For example, was a specific look given, or did your photographer, Heather, have full free range?

“My label, Bent River Records, is really great for artistic creativity on album covers. With both my first record and my upcoming record, I had a style in mind, and they have always been very supportive of realizing my ideas.”

With the increasing popularity of digital music, most fans view artwork as just pixels on a screen. Why did you feel the artwork was important?

“The nice thing about releasing an album is that as a musician, I get to collaborate with artists across different disciplines. Generally, playing live means I work with other musicians only. On my first album, I worked with photographer Uryelle Lopez and painter Kiona Calihoo-Ligtvoet for my album artwork.

“On Kinda Out West, I collaborated with photographer Heather Saitz and graphic designer Kristjan Buckingham. In both cases, it was a rare treat to have conversations and sessions with photographers and visual artists.”