A Great Day in Harlem: Art Kane's Iconic Jazz Photo - Essay Sample

Introduction

A Great Day in Harlem has always been described as the most significant and most incredible photograph in the history of jazz. Art Kane is acclaimed to have taken the magnificent photo, with the 57 most celebrated musicians in the history of jazz as a whole in the year 1958, 12th August. According to Cunningham the photo-shoot took place between Madison Avenue and Fifth in Harem at 17th East 126th Street (424). According to the documentary, the photo was taken at 10 a.m. The picture was meant for Esquire magazine. One of the most amazing things about the photograph is how the 57 jazz artists were put together and the work being Art Kane's first-ever photograph. According to the documentary, the artists were never expected to attend the event, least of all, to take the picture. How it was all planned out, organized, and set in motion, still baffles jazz lovers. Their music continues to resonate among jazz lovers and across the world with the majority of their pieces used as case studies.

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Out of all the artists in the photo, only two artists are alive to date; Benny Golson and Sonny Rollins. Some of the great artists in the photo include Hilton Jefferson, Thelonious Monk, Ernie Wilkins, Hank Jones, Rex Stewart among others. The documentary is a compilation of various interviews of artists, jazz lovers and music historians talking about the great day that jazz artists came together. To any jazz lover, there is some beauty of all the artists under one umbrella, close to one another. It is a perfect photo as the interviewees admit that a collection of such a large number of great artists is a memorable and rare incident. Never in the history of jazz music have such a large number of musicians come together. One of the greatest researches worth undertaking is a study into the lives and times of some of the notable musicians on the photograph. Studies into the lives and jazz composition of artists such a Rex Stewart would be exciting and fun. These are names whose work continues dominating in the jazz category with several such as Maxine Sullivan gaining fame and prominence after their demise. It would no doubt be inspiring to learn on how they achieved greatness, rose to fame, compiled their compositions, and gave jazz music a remarkable appeal.

It is incredible that jazz, although a piece of African-American music, especially during the early years in the United States, many whites enjoyed and celebrated the artists. From the documentary, it is evident that jazz was not just music for African-American communities, but it was a genre that had spread far and beyond the boundaries of New Orleans where it was coined in the early 20th century. Numerous documentaries describe jazz as "American classical entertainment." Watching the literature, it is evident that jazz is held in high esteem and glorified by men as a classical masterpiece and music. At the same time, from the documentary, it is apparent that jazz music spread around the world, becoming both a local, regional, and national masterpiece. The various artists in the photograph gave jazz music a new name, a new birth, a new beginning and from the time it was taken, jazz took a new outfit as a "chord-based invention."

A lot can be learned about jazz music from the documentary, not only about the artists but about jazz as a genre. Jazz brings together various aspects of other music genres, such as blues, rock, and hard pop. For example, the interview exposes how artists such as Sonny Geer, Oscar Pettiford, and Lester Young blended their free jazz to come up with unique compositions that mirrored smooth jazz, jazz-rock, and Afro-Cuban jazz. According to the documentary, as jazz music spread and artists continued producing various pieces, various music structures, styles, instrumentation, and tempos emerged that widened the appeal of jazz further. It is interesting to learn that the artists in the photograph played critical roles in the emergence and rise of jazz music in various ways. They all dominated the jazz scenes with their different styles, characterization, and expressions. Another crucial key feature from the documentary is that jazz remains American's masterpiece. From its composition, expression, and instrumentation, jazz has maintained a unique formal structure that is different from other music genres.

Jazz lovers, musicians, historians, students, and music instructors will appreciate that the photo taken by Art Kane in Harlem is informative and fun. Despite being in black and white, the photo will continue playing a significant role in educating and creating awareness of the history of jazz artists in the history of America. The documentary inspires an infectious enthusiasm and sweetness in learning about that great day in Harlem. It was never planned much, its organization was no doubt random and spontaneous, but it marked a particular day, in the minds of jazz lovers, historians, teachers, and in the account of all Americans. It is a good starting point for any jazz lover, teacher, and student. It not only inspires hope but also raises awareness about the journey jazz has taken since its inception and origin in Orleans in the early 20th century.

Works Cited

Cunningham, Katie Egan. "Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph." Language Arts 94.6 (2017): 424. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P4-1917334336/jazz-day-the-making-of-a-famous-photograph

Kaart, All That Jazz Don. "Jazz Docu - A Great Day In Harlem - Art Kane 1958 ( Full )." YouTube, YouTube, 19 Jan. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVYZyNBpnGg.