People are always referring to this or that “golden age.” I was lucky to start photography in a time that was often called the “Golden Age of Jazz.”
I got to see and photograph Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and others you’ll see in this collection.
It was not only a golden age as far as the stars were concerned, it was a golden age for photographers. A dumb kid like myself could pay admission and shoot whatever I wanted. There was no security, no managers, and no PR people, just the jazz people themselves and the music. With rare exceptions, no one ever objected. It was a picnic.
I will always be grateful for the listening and the joy of shooting these great people.
