A loveletter to the birthplace of Jazz: New Orleans highlights from William Claxton's Jazzlife

New Orleans will never again appear as it does in these rare and stunning photographs by William Claxton taken for the book Jazzlife in 1960. While traveling around the United States with musicologist Joachim E. Berendt to record America`s original art form, Claxton met and photographed the jazz personalities in every major and minor city, capturing these musicians in their natural environment. Among the most poignant and soulful photographs are these from the colorful melting pot of New Orleans, the city where jazz was born.

About the photographer:
William Claxton began his career shooting jazz record cover art. His iconic images of Chet Baker, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and many others reflect his preeminence among photographers of jazz music. Claxton worked for many of the biggest publishers including Life, Paris Match, and Vogue magazines. His work has been shown in galleries around the world, and his photographic prints are now sought after by collectors of fine art photography.

About the author:
In Germany, Joachim E. Berendt was called the "jazz pope", and indeed he was the most influential non-musician in the German jazz scene for more than 50 years. He was founding member of South West German Radio (Südwestfunk) and produced more than 250 records, including many issued on the MPS-SABA label. In 1953, he first published The Jazzbuch, which became the most successful history book on jazz worldwide. His collection of records, books and jazz documents became the basis for the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt before he died in an accident in 2000. His contributions to jazz are internationally recognized to this day.