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Herb Snitzer - Gallery 2
Jimmy Rushing, Randall's Island Jazz Festival, NYC, 1959
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Nina Simone, Philadelphia, 1959
One of my first assignments was to photograph the talented but difficult Nina Simone for an album cover. I had briefly met Nina in Philadelphia. We hit it off, found much to talk about. The photography session took many hours of hard work, but out of it came a cover and a set of images, which show Nina's early, good-natured side. (Herb Snitzer)
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Johnny Hodges, Columbia Recording Studio, 1961
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Duke Ellington, Newport Jazz Festival, 1959
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Coleman Hawkins, Museum Of Modern Art, NYC, 1960
Known to his friends as "Bean," he was always the gentleman; always dressed in a conservatively cut suit. Bean's music never dipped into the pedestrian, never was there - to me -a boring solo. He was the consummate musician. Coupled with his inherent dignity and sense of self, Bean, always made the world a better place. This image was made at the Museum of Modern Art, in one of the "Jazz in the Garden" series Metronome Magazine produced during the summer of 1960. Bean was appearing with "Little Jazz," Roy Eldridge. That summer series brought many of the older jazz performers before a new audience in a sophisticated setting. (Herb Snitzer)
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Charles Mingus, Newport Jazz Festival, 1959
One of the more talented jazz players and equally difficult, however, as a human being. Very high strung and too often intolerant of others. Yet, in his presence one felt an energy and enthusiasm that was contagious. Powerful is how I would characterize Charles. His music and politics tied together; his loves and hates equally bound. I always stood removed from Charles. Yet I was fascinated by his person and certainly by his music. I consider him as important as any other jazz composer of the 20th Century. Only Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk are on a higher plateau. (Herb Snitzer)
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George Adams, Boston, 1982
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Art Blakey, International Jazz Festival, Bern, 1989
I knew Art for thirty years, from the early album cover I did on him for Blue Note to the last time I saw him at The International Jazz Festival, Bern, 1989, where I made this and other images. He was a great leader and great teacher, nurturing many of the young musicians who are the stars of jazz today. To play with Art was a privilege and pleasure. If the money was sometimes less or even nonexistent, well what the hell, the music was hip and drivin'. (Herb Snitzer)
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Joe Williams, International Jazz Festival, Bern, 1988
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Gerry Mulligan, Newport Jazz Festival, 1990
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Gerry Mulligan, Mulligan's Horn at the Newport Jazz Festival, 1990
Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island, 1990, and the ever present Gerry Mulligan Quintet had the crowd cheering and dancing. Mulligan was still around after 50 years of playing, doing too many drugs (in his youth) staying the course and having as much to say through his horn at 65 as he did at 25. What an accomplished musician. (Herb Snitzer)
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Cleo Laine, Boston Globe Jazz Festival, 1990
I had one opportunity to meet Cleo Lane and her husband, band leader and saxophonist, Johnny Dankworth when they played the Boston GLOBE Jazz Festival, in the mid eighties. Cleo can sing four octaves... no small feat. Cleo is not a young woman, yet her energy and enthusiasms belie her age. She was delightful, gracious and allowed me a lot of time in making my images. So I wanted to portray her as open, positive and embracing. I think I accomplished my task. (Herb Snitzer)
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Cassandra Wilson, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, 1995
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