Jazz For the Eye

October 12, 2008 8:37 PM

The iconic photographer William Claxton has died at the age of 80. His unforgettable shots of Miles Davis, Steve McQueen,Chet Baker (the book of his Baker photos here), Bob Dylan, Charlie Parker, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Bill Evans, Lenny Bruce, Frank Sinatra and so many others are legend. His books "Jazz Life" and "Photographic Memory" are great collections, but his official site is probably the best way to appreciate the amazing legacy of work he left behind.
posted by Seekerofsplendor (13 comments total)

Your post title nailed it. Claxton truly was jazz for the eyes.




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posted by bluedaniel at 9:31 PM on October 12, 2008

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posted by bradbane at 9:32 PM on October 12, 2008

Thank you, very nice post.
posted by Wolof at 10:21 PM on October 12, 2008

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Aw. Hell.
posted by pjern at 10:34 PM on October 12, 2008

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posted by Tacodog at 1:05 AM on October 13, 2008

That shot.

Some larger shots.

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posted by mandal at 3:29 AM on October 13, 2008

we lost the Rembrandt of our age.

my favorite image of his, among so many he left us. that, and the mystery girl in a gown at that hot dog stand lit up as a Chinese lantern, at 3 AM.

Tom Sutpen has a larger jpeg of Birdland
posted by matteo at 5:02 AM on October 13, 2008

Not to be prudish, but some images on his official site are slightly not safe for work if you happen to work with people that are prudish.

Good shots, and I liked his fashion work.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:14 AM on October 13, 2008

I group up on Claxton's photographs. I knew who Chet Baker was by sight before I'd ever heard his music. All of my life, Claxton has defined the visual idea of the world I wanted to live in.
posted by shmegegge at 11:09 AM on October 13, 2008

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posted by ig at 11:33 AM on October 13, 2008

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Well put shemegge...at various influential times in my younger life, while everyone else was listening to what was been fed through the radio, I was blissed out in my room, listening to Charles Mingus and staring at a wall full of postcards of jazz musicians, many of which were Claxton photos.

The Miles and Baker ones were there, and that Coltrane at Newport photo is a stunning reminder of why I love his music: brooding and contemplative, even in the bright light of day. No slicked down, night lit sidewalks need to invoke a mood for Trane. He brought his ethos with him everywhere.
posted by salishsea at 12:13 PM on October 13, 2008

Inspirational. Thanks, muchly.
posted by chuckdarwin at 2:52 AM on October 14, 2008

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posted by neblina_matinal at 6:17 AM on October 14, 2008