According to the publisher: "Jazz was originally published in 1959, and since then it has become one of the most collectible photography books of the mid-twentieth century, ranking alongside the more widely known work of Christer Strömholm and Robert Frank." Wow, that's pretty serious. They go on further to say: "It is perhaps the most successful of the era's many photographic attempts to capture the essence of jazz, because it is more than just a succession of musicians' portraits or even a documentary record of performance, but a book that visually echoes the music itself." Once again, pretty serious, but you know what? I think they're right. These pictures are stunning, each one of them is like an incredible painting with its time-stamped graininess and incredible black and white contrast. The captured subjects take this book to the godly level, whether it's the musicians in deep concentration or the audience in levels of mental rapture. Features: Lionel Hampton, Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and many others. 79 pages, 7" x 7.25", in German and English. Recommended.

reviewed by the mgmnt