Classic Jazz Photography

I was photographing music events and musicians long before I knew of any of the great classic jazz photographers. I had seen photography on record covers and liner notes, of course, but I really hadn’t a clue for a long while that there were individuals who were “famous” for a body of work surrounding only jazz musicians, and of a certain time and place. Of course, once I started learning about these people, I wanted to know everything I could about them, and the circumstances under which they shot. If you are a jazz fan, you’ve probably seen the work of some of these people in various places, either online or in books or magazines, but you may not know who they are or what might have inspired their work.

I have done some research online, and wanted to share some of these great images with you. And if you’re interested enough to read about the people behind the camera, there is usually some biographical information on their sites. If not, you can always Google them to find out more. I am not posting any of the photos on this site because I have too much respect for these guys to lift the photos they have posted elsewhere.

Let us start with probably the greatest living Jazz photographer, Herman Leonard. Herman shot jazz, most notably, during the 40′s, 50′s and 60′s. If you go to his site you’ll find a bio, some of his work, articles and video on him. HermanLeonard.com.

William P. Gottleib is at jazzphotos.com.
You can also go to the Library of Congress and view more photos and information on Bill. There is a link from the above site. His is an interesting story, as he was pretty much pushed into becoming a photographer while working as a journalist.

William Claxton was more of a west coast jazz photographer than either Herman or Bill, and shot more in the 50′s and 60′s, and on. Known for his many photos of Chet Baker and other “cool jazz” musicians, Claxton liked to do his work in settings that you don’t normally connect with the jazz scene. Much less of the dim smoky clubs, and more outdoor shots. His work can be seen at williamclaxton.com.

Hopefully viewing these sites will whet your appetite for more, because there are quite a few other photographers out there who have contributed mightily to the history of jazz, and the people who make it what it is. And I’d like to help guide you to them.