Jazz Life

William Claxton's wife, Peggy once said, "Photography is jazz for the eye." I've always felt that photography is an artform and her husband's work certainly provides ample evidence.

Jazz photography came into its own with the works of Francis Wolff and William Claxton back in the fifties and early sixties.

Jazz Life is the result of the combined efforts of Claxton and German journalist Joachim Berendt and when I say the book is heavy, it's no metaphor. I weighed it on the bathroom scales and it comes in at 8.9 pounds. This is a "coffee table book" that will require a sturdy table. It's big, too -- 10" X 14". See the photo below with the audio CD shown for perspective.

John Coltrane covered this Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein's song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music in 1961. It is generally considered to be a historic recording and was his first for Atlantic Records. Two of my favorite things are photography and jazz. William Claxton and Joachim Berendt combined efforts in late 1959 and 1960 to produce a benchmark volume of jazz and photography, Jazz Life . This book recently came to my attention and so I have now reviewed it. I'm enthusiastic about having it in my library and hope readers will consider acquiring it as well.

The list of jazz artists photographed and featured in this huge book is long and impressive. Musicians from Louie Armstrong to Joe Williams are included along with unknowns in the Louisiana State Penitentiary to consummate professionals whose enduring legacies make them household names today.

The currently available copy is a re-issue from Taschen and includes an audio CD. Watch for a link to my review of that item soon.

The following video clip provides a glimpse into this magnificent collection of images and text and unfortunately is silent. So, put on some cool jazz, hot jazz, or whatever your favorite flavor of jazz and enjoy the open-book tour.