The Jazz Loft Project

[Peter Friedman]

The Center For Creative Photography at The University of Arizona here in Tucson maintains the archives for the photographs and tapes of W. Eugene Smith. I saw in the local paper that the Center had put together an exhibit of Smith's Jazz Loft project.

Yesterday I visited the exhibit. There are marvelous photographs , all taken in Smith's New York City Loft, of musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Hall Overton, Charles Mingus, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim Hall and many others.

Music from Smith's tapes, recorded at the loft, was being played in each of the rooms where the photographs and tapes boxes were displayed.

I found especially interesting the photos of Monk and Overton rehearsing the Monk Big Band in preparation for the famous Town Hall Concert.

[marcello]

That sounds wonderful, Peter! W. Eugene Smith was one of the great ones.

[jlhoots]

I liked the book too.

Some didn't.