Since 2013 portraits of famous deceased Rotterdam jazz musicians have appeared on and around the Oude Binnenweg. The portrait series has grown into a jazz and comic strip route as a memorial to an important Rotterdam music history. The portraits are made by renowned cartoonists and illustrators. This is a portrait of Tony Viola (Rotterdam, 1935 - Rotterdam, 2008). Antonius Adrianus 'Tony' Viola studied percussion at the socialist harmony association Tot Steun in de Strijd and the conservatory at Mathenesserlaan. Viola became a much in demand percussionist with the Green Swan Sextet, The Millers, Malando, Piet van Dijk and the Quintet of Piet Noordijk. From 1978 to 1998 he was musical accompanist at the Rotterdam Dance Academy. Tony worked in various productions of the Ro Theater, but became world famous in Rotterdam as a schnabbler in the café circuit. The jazz and comic route is realized by BKOR and Rotterdam Jazz Artists Memorial (R'Jam). With this route they try to save the Rotterdam jazz celebrities from oblivion. An extensive biography of the cartoonists and musicians included in the series can be found at www.r-jam.nl. The vinyl album is in honor of this project Jazz from R'jam was released, on which all portrayed jazz musicians can be heard.
