Sight Readings

Alan John Ainsworth

Description

Jazz photography has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Photographs of musicians are popular with enthusiasts, while historians and critics are keen to incorporate photographs as illustrations. Yet there has been little interrogation of these photographs and it is noticeable that what has become known as the jazz photography 'tradition' is dominated by a small number of well-known photographers and 'iconic' images.

Many photographers, including African American photojournalists, studio photographers, early twentieth-century émigrés, the Jewish exiles of the 1930s and vernacular snapshots are frequently overlooked. Drawing on ideas from contemporary photographic theory supported by extensive original archival research, Sight Readings is a thorough exploration of twentieth century jazz photography, and it includes discussions of jazz as a visual subject, its attraction to different types of photographers and offers analysis of why and how they approached the subject in the way they did.

One of the remarkable things about this book is its movement back and forth between detailed archive research, the empirical documentation of photographers, their techniques, working practices, equipment etc., and cultural theory, the sophisticated discussion of aesthetics, cultural sociology, the politics of identity, etc.  The result is both a fine scholarly achievement and an engaging labour of love.

The primary readership will be those with specialist interests in the history of jazz and the history of photography. The audience will include jazz scholars, musicians, critics and fans, along with photographers, photography scholars, art historians and those generally interested in the history of visual images.

It will be an essential text for teaching as well as research in the fields of music and photography. It will be of interest to those teaching and studying within cultural studies, American studies, African American studies, critical race and ethnic studies, history, English and sociology.

There is also a significant readership for jazz and photographic history outside the academic context. It will be of interest to the media, the museum world and the general reader with interests in music or photography.

Contents

 

Foreword by Darius Brubeck 

Illustrations

Acknowledgements

Introduction: Approaching jazz photography

Chapter 1: Jazz photography and photographers 1900-1960

Chapter 2: Jazz writing and the photographic image

Chapter 3: The Jazz image as document

Chapter 4: Expression in the jazz image

Chapter 5: The Play of Gestures: Jazz in the Studio

Chapter 6: Document and realism: early African American jazz photography

Chapter 7: Expressive realism in African American photography

Chapter 8: Authenticity and art: ‘New generation’ white photography

Chapter 9: Interrogating jazz: exiles and Jewish photography

Chapter 10: Looking forward, looking back: Jazz photography after 1960

Conclusion: Herb Snitzer, Pops (1960)

Appendix: Photographic agency and jazz photography

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Loisirs
• Histoire de la photographie
• Individual Photographers
• Styles
• Genres
• HISTORY
• MUSIC
• América
• Multiple signal classification
• African-American history
• Photojournalism
• Criticism
• General officer
• Photography
• Modernism
• General
• American
• Cultural Studies
• ART
• Jazz

Informations

• Publié par: Intellect Books
• Date de parution: 29 novembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781789384239
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Sight Readings
Sight Readings
Photographers and American Jazz, 1900–60
Alan John Ainsworth
Foreword by Darius Brubeck
First published in the UK in 2022 by
Intellect, The Mill, Parnall Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JG, UK
First published in the USA in 2022 by
Intellect, The University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Copyright © 2022 Intellect Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Copy editor: Newgen Knowledge Works
Cover designer: Holly Rose
Cover photo: Ted Williams. Gene Krupa . Newport Jazz Festival. 1958. Iconic Images.
Managing editor: Tim Mitchell
Layout Designer: Aleksandra Szumlas
Typesetting: Newgen Knowledge Works
Hardback ISBN 978-1-78938-421-5
ePDF ISBN 978-1-78938-422-2
ePUB ISBN 978-1-78938-423-9
Printed and bound by Gomer Press, UK
To find out about all our publications, please visit our website.
There you can subscribe to our e-newsletter, browse or download our current catalogue, and buy any titles that are in print.
www.intellectbooks.com
This is a peer-reviewed publication
In memory of my father,
Eric Ainsworth (1926–2019)
and for my mother,
Irene Ainsworth
Contents
List of Illustrations
Foreword Darius Brubeck
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Approaching Jazz Photography
1. Jazz Photography and Photographers, 1900–60
2. Jazz Writing and the Photographic Image
3. The Jazz Image as Document
4. Expression in the Jazz Image
5. Jazz in the Portrait Studio
6. Document and Realism: Early African American Jazz Photography
7. Expressive Realism: African American Photography
8. Authenticity and Art: “New Generation” White Photography
9. Interrogating Jazz: Exiles and Jewish Photography
10. Looking Back, Looking Forward: Jazz Photography after 1960
Conclusion: Herb Snitzer, Pops (1960)
Appendix: Agency in Jazz Photography
Bibliography
Index
Illustrations
Front cover and frontispiece: Ted Williams. Gene Krupa . Newport Jazz Festival. 1958.
Foreword: Darius Brubeck.
1. William Gottlieb. 52nd Street . New York. c. 1948.
2. Charles Peterson. Eddie Condon, Gene Krupa, Lou McGarity, and Wild Bill Davidson . New York. c. 1946.
3. Charles Williams. Cavalcade of Jazz. Los Angeles. 1948.
4. Charles Peterson. The Swing Fan . New York. 1938.
5a and 5b. Publicity photographs signed for Bob Inman.
6a, 6b, and 6c. Photography offers in Down Beat .
7. Drummer’s Digest . WFL Drum Co. n.d.
8. Charles “Teenie” Harris. Photographs on wall of club . n.d.
9. Gordon Anderson. Cab Calloway . Apollo Theatre. 1947.
10. Sara Robbin. Benny Goodman Orchestra. World’s Fair. San Francisco. 1939.
11. Murray Korman. Billie Holiday . n.d.
12. James Van Der Zee. Don Frye Trio . New York. 1937.
13. Bob Douglas. Lionel Hampton . Los Angeles. 1950.
14. David B. Hecht. Benny Goodman . Recording session . Carnegie Hall. 1953.
15. Otto Hess. Count Basie and the Coca Cola Bottle . New York. n.d.
16. William P. Gottlieb. Portrait of Thelonious Monk, Howard McGhee, Roy Eldridge, and Teddy Hill, Minton’s Playhouse. New York. 1947.
17. William P. Gottlieb. Portrait of Charlie Parker, Red Rodney, Dizzy Gillespie, Margie Hyams and Chuck Wayne . Downbeat. New York. 1947.
18. Production still from United Artists’ motion picture 52nd Street.
19a and 19b. Ed Kirkeby. Old Orchard Pier, Maine—Marquee and advertisement . September 1941.
20. “PoPsie.” Buck Clayton . n.d.
21. Unknown photographer. Caroll Dickerson’s Orchestra . New York. 1929–30.
22. Conrad Eiger. Count Basie and His Orchestra . RCA Victor Recording, RCA Studios. New York. 1947.
23. Mary Osborne Gibson promotional photograph. 1946.
24. “A New Thrill for Your Lips”—Rita Rio testimonial advertisement. 1939.
25. Unknown photographer. This Is Jazz . Mutual Network Radio Broadcast. New York. September 1947.
26. “PoPsie.” Count Basie Orchestra . Carnegie Hall. 1948.
27. Dudley L. Stouch. Count Basie Orchestra . poss. Dover PA. 1970.
28. Alexander Marshall. Count Basie Orchestra . Unknown location. 1941.
29. Unknown photographer. Count Basie and His Orchestra . 1944.
30. Unknown photographer. Don Albertson and His Music . San Antonio, TX. 1934.
31. Milt Hinton. Danny Barker and Dizzy Gillespie on the road with Cab Calloway . c. 1940.
32. W. T. “Ed” Kirkeby. Fats Waller with railroad porter . June 1941.
33a and 33b. Stanley Dance. Larry Richardson, bass; Earl Hines; Richie Goldberg and Khalil Mhadi . New Orleans. 1970.
34. Unknown photographer. Billie Holiday and Artie Shaw onstage at the Roseland-State Ballroom . 1938.
35. Bob Douglas. Stanley Turrentine . Long Beach. 1993.
36. Robert H. Lehman. Artie Shaw, Chick Webb, Irving Mills, and Duke Ellington—jam session . 1937.
37. Art Weismann. Benny Goodman, Roy Eldridge. n.d.
38. “PoPsie.” Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, Kai Winding . Clique Club (later Birdland). New York. December–January 1948–49.
39. Unknown photographer. Gerry Mulligan Quintet in a scene from the Subterraneans . MGM. 1960.
40. Charles “Teenie” Harris. Duke Ellington signing autographs in a crowd . 1946–47.
41. Sulaiman Ellison. Jazz Is . New York. n.d.
42. Fred Plaut. Cannonball Adderley music stand . n.d.
43. Unknown photographer. Dexter Gordon travel documents . n.d.
44. Unknown photographer. Lee Collins . New Orleans. 1923.
45. Clarence S. Bull. Tommy Dorsey . Early-1940s.
46. Clarence S. Bull. Kay Keyser in a publicity still from MGM’s “Right About Face. ” 1939.
47. An “occupational” musician tintype c. 1860.
48. Unknown photographer. “Big Eye” Louis Nelson and Freddie Keppard . Kansas City. 1916.
49. Marvin Willard Wiles. W. C. Handy ensemble . 1918.
50. Strand Studios. Armand J. Piron’s Society Orchestra . New York. 1923.
51. Bert Studio, Kansas City. The Paul Banks Orchestra . Kansas City. 1926.
52. Daguerre (Chicago). Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five . Okeh recording studio. Chicago. 1922–23.
53. Apeda. Louis Armstrong . New York. 1930.
54. Gibson Studio. Louis Armstrong . Chicago. 1933.
55. Bloom Studio. Gene Rodgers . Chicago. Early-1930s.
56. Nasib. Albert Nicholas . New York. July 2, 1930.
57. Maurice Seymour Studio. Nat King Cole Trio . Los Angeles. Late-1940s.
58. Maurice Seymour Studio. Advertisement in Down Beat .
59. Murray Korman. The Bud Harris Rhythm Rascals . RKO Tour. May 1932.
60a and 60b. Murray Korman, Teddy Wilson . New York. n.d.
61. Bruno Bernard (“Bruno of Hollywood”). Erskine Hawkins . Late-1930s.
62. James J. Kriegsmann. Henry “Red” Allen . New York. n.d.
63. James J. Kriegsmann. Mary Lou Williams . New York. n.d.
64. James J. Kriegsmann. Jimmie Lunceford . New York. Late-1930s.
65. James J. Kriegsmann. Illinois Jacquet . New York. c. 1948.
66. James J. Kriegsmann. Clora Bryant . New York. n.d.
67. James J. Kriegsmann. Ben Webster . New York. 1950s.
68. Gordon Connor. Red Nichols . Cleveland. n.d.
69. Gordon Connor. Don Redman . Cleveland. 1935.
70. Bill Bennett. Jimmy Peterson . Philadelphia. n.d.
71. Mart Studio. Chicago. J. C. Higginbotham . Chicago. n.d.
72. George Maillard Kesslère. W. C. Handy . New York. 1940.
73. Monroe Hollywood. Joe Darensbourg . New York. n.d.
74. Lansing Brown. Rockwell O’Keefe publicity photo of The Jimmy Dorsey Trio . 1938.
75. Henry and Robert Hooks. W. C. Handy . Memphis. 1920s.
76. Unknown photographer. The Original Tuxedo Orchestra . New Orleans. 1924.
77. Arthur P. Bedou. Manuel Perez’s Garden of Joy Orchestra . Knights of Pythian Temple Roof Garden. 1925.
78. Arthur Bedou. The Louisiana Shakers . New Orleans. Mid-1920s.
79. Villard Paddio. Sidney Desvigne’s S.S. Capitol Orchestra . New Orleans. c. 1931.
80. Arthur P. Bedou. Fate Marable’s Orchestra, S.S. Capitol riverboat . New Orleans. Early-1920s.
81. James Van Der Zee. King Oliver and His Harlem Syncopators . New York. March 1, 1931.
82. Edward Elcha. The Siren Syncopators . New York. February 1922.
83. Carroll T. Maynard. Earl Hines Grand Terrace Orchestra . Grand Terrace, Chicago. June 1930.
84. Woodard Studios. Louis Armstrong’s 1928 Hot 5 . Chicago. 1928.
85. Woodard Studios. Sammy Stewart . Chicago. 1930.
86. Al Smith. International Sweethearts of Rhythm at the Black & Tan Speakeasy. September 24, 1944.
87. Al Smith. Pete Peterson. n.d.
88. Al Smith. The Leon Vaughan Band . n.d.
89. Allen E. Cole. Freeman Ensemble (later Evelyn Freeman Swing Band). n.d.
90. Ernest Withers. Count Basie, Ruth Brown, Billy Eckstine. The Hippodrome. Memphis. 1950s.
91. Harry Adams. Count Basie . Los Angeles. 1968.
92. Harry Adams. Nat King Cole, Hunter Hancock and wife Margie. Los Angeles . n.d.
93. Charles “Teenie” Harris. Cozy Harris playing sheet music next to an unknown woman . Pittsburgh. c. 1950–55.
94. Howard Morehead. Ray Charles on the Eye for Music dummy. Los Angeles. n.d.
95. Howard Morehead. Dexter Gordon at the California Club. Los Angeles. 1958.
96. Howard Morehead. Jazz giant Gerald Wiggins smiles as he plays “Ballad for a Bronze Beauty” for beautiful Bronze Beauty model Monique Gonzaque. Los Angeles. n.d.
97. Bob Douglas. Thelonious Monk. n.d.
98a and 98b. Ted Williams. Photographs of the Newport Jazz Festival. 1958.
99. Bob Douglas. Billie Holiday . Tiffany Club. Los Angeles. 1950.
100. Ted Williams. Art Blakey . Newport Jazz Festival. 1965.
101. Ted Williams. Gene Krupa . Newport Jazz Festival. 1958.
102. Ted Williams. Sarah Vaughan . Newport Jazz Festival. 1958.
103. Milt Hinton. Motel for Colored . Alabama. c. 1949.
104. Milt Hinton. Billie Holiday . Recording Studio. New York. 1959.
105. Chuck Stewart. Johnny Hodges and Jimmy Jones . Billy Strayhorn and his Orchestra. Verve recording session, Rudy van