Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph

In 1958, Esquire magazine planned an issue celebrating American jazz. Graphic designer Art Kane proposed gathering jazz musicians for a photograph outside a Harlem brownstone, despite not knowing whether anyone would appear and lacking a good camera. This book uses verse and artwork to tell the story of that photo session, bringing together the planning and uncertainty behind a well-known moment in jazz history. It centers the musicians, Harlem, and the making of the group portrait.