Capitol Restores Tower Mural

JAZZIN’ UP THE TOWER: L.A. artist Richard Wyatt Jr. has restored his famed mural, “Hollywood Jazz—1945-1972,” which he first created in 1990 and adorns the south wall of the Capitol Records Tower. The piece features Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Miles Davis , Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday and lists the names of more than four dozen jazz heavyweights. The piece was supposed to grace the wall for just five years, but has since become a Hollywood landmark. Wyatt set about restoring the 88-foot-long, 26-foot-high south wall in Nov. 2011. The piece was originally commissioned by the Los Angeles Jazz Society, and paid for by the Los Angeles Endowment for the Arts. Over the decades, the elements left it "horribly faded," with the recreation, paid for by Capitol Records, made from photos of the original, using 12”-square ceramic tiles for durability. “It’s a tribute to jazz and a symbol of Capitol’s ongoing commitment to the Hollywood community,” said a label spokeswoman. “We wanted to give it the proper restoration it deserved...and now Steve Barnett can clearly see it from his new office window." (2/19p)