Herman Leonard’s Jazz Memories
There are those moments in life in which a consumer like myself just wishes he hadn’t blown his money on other goodies. One just stumbles across something which has been around for a while, hidden deep within the dark recesses of the Internet, in places one just didn’t think of looking before, only for it to jump out and slam into you like an 18-wheeler speeding down the highway. Boom.
Here’s how it happened: I was actually surfing around looking for something to slap up onto my living room wall and thought of Herman Leonard, the world-famous photographer who is primarilay known for his wonderful jazz portraits. I had been looking for his work before, mostly in poster shops and art galleries around the globe, but somehow (double-duh) I never thought of checking if the man had a website. Well, he does, and that’s where I found IT. All 495 dollars worth of IT.
IT, in this case, is Herman Leonard. Jazz Memories. 205 pages. Limited Collector’s Edition. $495.00 + postage and handling. You can have a look at some (not enough) detail shots of the book on his website, and being a book and jazz lover, this truly appears to be an edition which could, perhaps, be better than sex.
This signed, numbered and sealed (by the man himself) edition is encased in a custom-designed heavy acrylic box with gold velvet lining. The package includes a signed 8 1/2 X 11 sepia print of Dexter Gordon (New York, 1948). It’s a true collectors item, the ultimate (!) coffee table book and every jazz fan’s dream. Just a tiny bit on the expensive side.
Herman Leonard is perhaps the best-known photographer of jazz artists, only rivaled by William Claxton (check out the excellent site dedicated to Claxton’s work). I’ve always admired Leonard’s work, which I discovered through a wonderful shot of his, portraying Ella Fitzgerald in New York (1949). Duke Ellington is sitting right in front of the stage, with this wonderful relaxed expression on his face. Leonard, just like in this photo, always managed to capture these moments, encapsuling, in my opinion, the essence of the musicians he portrayed. Have a look at his wonderful portrait of Dexter Gordon at the Royal Roost in 1948, another one of Leonard’s classics.
Leonard, who arrived in New York in the late 1940s, drawn there by his love for jazz, couldn’t afford to get into the clubs of Broadway, 52nd Street and Harlem (which soon became his stomping ground and spawned most of the classic photos), and because he wasn’t a drinker either, he used his camera to get in. He gave photographs to the owners in return for access and also provided the musicians with prints. Many friendships started this way and Leonard became an integral part of the New York scene. In an interview he describes the atmosphere of that time. When asked what the images of 52nd street in his head were, 40 or 50 years later, he answered:
If you could imagine, in today’s terms, going to one block where you would be able to see the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the U2, Def Jam … you name it … all within like a couple hundred yards of each other, playing on the same night, and you could go from one place to another … that’s what it was like.
Leonard had studied with Yousuf Karsh, of whom he said:
I went up to Canada to try to get a job with Yousef Karsh … who was and still is the greatest portrait photographer in the world. He did all the world’s most important people, and I admired his approach and his quality. But he wouldn’t hire me, he didn’t need anybody, but he suggested that if I could afford it I could study with him for six months. So I called my Dad, and he supported me. I actually stayed a year with Karsh, a real turning point in my life because we photographed President Truman in the White House, Albert Einstein in Princeton University, General Eisenhower, Clark Gable … a whole bunch of people, which was really a mind blowing experience for me, not only to be with Karsh but to meet people of that stature.
Later, in 1956, Leonard became Marlon Brando’s personal photographer and in the late 1950’s he went to Paris and worked in fashion and advertising as well as serving as the European photographer for Playboy Magazine.
Despite all the wonderful photographs this man took, it is his jazz protraits that attract me to his art again and again. It is no surprise that the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC is keeping his entire collection in the permanent archives of musical history. His work was and is that important.
In case anyone wants to donate this book to me, I won’t complain. Just have it sent to me and you’ll have a friend for life (and, if you ever end up here, you’ll get to experience the wine-binge of your life , too boot).
“Want, need, will have,” as a friend of mine used to say.
External links:
Herman Leonard: Website: On this site you will find a brief biography, details of his book(s), and, of course, a whole lot of photographs on 15 pages, divided into several sections: music photography, travel, New Orleans and miscellaneous.
Herman Leonard: Interview: The interview referred to twice in this post. It can be found on “Jerry Jazz Musician …a counterculture world of ideas, entertainment, gifts, and mid-twentieth century America….
“Frame After Frame”: ‘Frame After Frame: The Images of Herman Leonard’ (LPB’s Instructional Television) is the story of a man whose art has finally received the recognition it deserves, even if it took almost 50 years for it to happen. This documentary was produced and directed by Tika Laudun for Louisiana Public Broadcasting through a grant from SECA. It was written by Al Godoy, edited by Randy Ward and photographed by Rex Fortenberry and Tika Laudun, graphics design by Lee Barbier.
Barbara Gillman: Gallery: The famous images available for purchase (starting price at $950 for unsigned prints).
William Claxton: Website: A beautiful site offering a portfolio, news and a biography.
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