Fully immersed in jazz’s creative community, Norman Lewis bridged music and visual art in his work. In Harlem Jazz Jamboree, he brings a New York City nightclub to life by depicting its abstract and physical elements alike: instruments, expressive facial features, and vibrant reds and blues that imitate club lighting. By painting both Black and white figures, Lewis reflects the realities of jazz culture and makes a clear distinction in roles: Black musicians, at the center of the composition, drive the creative process, while the white audience, dotting the sides of the canvas, observes.