Jazz - Jan Vrijman

Originally published in 1959, Jazz has become one of the most collectible photography books from the mid-twentieth century. Like William Claxtons Jazzlife and Dennis Stocks Jazz Street, Van Der Elskens entry in the niche of jazz photography was published just prior to the moment when rocknroll cemented its place as the popular music of choice for young people. This book is perhaps the most successful of numerous attempts to capture photographically the essence of jazz because it is more than just a succession of musicians portraits, or even a documentary record of performance, but a book that visually echoes the music itself. Other photographers, perhaps closer to the jazz community, have made books on the subject, but Van Der Elskens is the work of an authentic jazz fan and a maker of authentic photobooks.